Post job

Medical assistant externship vs student medical assistant-externship

The differences between medical assistant externships and student medical assistant-externships can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a medical assistant externship and a student medical assistant-externship. Additionally, a student medical assistant-externship has an average salary of $35,588, which is higher than the $35,460 average annual salary of a medical assistant externship.

The top three skills for a medical assistant externship include patients, vital signs and EKG. The most important skills for a student medical assistant-externship are patients, vital signs, and EKG.

Medical assistant externship vs student medical assistant-externship overview

Medical Assistant ExternshipStudent Medical Assistant-Externship
Yearly salary$35,460$35,588
Hourly rate$17.05$17.11
Growth rate16%16%
Number of jobs172,671178,362
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeDiploma, 31%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age3737
Years of experience1212

What does a medical assistant externship do?

Medical assistant externs are medical school students who took the opportunity to get on-the-job training at a medical facility, usually a hospital. They spend a set amount of time in the facility. Medical assistant externs do job shadowing. They join their mentors, who are usually doctors or other health professionals, in their daily activities. Unlike usual on-the-job trainees, medical assistant externs do not really work on administrative activities. Instead, they are given the opportunity to truly be exposed to the actual work in a medical facility. They experience talking to patients and their families, performing basic medical tasks under the supervision of a doctor, and interpreting laboratory results with their mentors.

What does a student medical assistant-externship do?

Student Medical Assistant Externship is a broad term for catering students for short, reliable, and practical work experience. Once you graduate, you can get a chance to meet contacts that may be useful for your career. You can have a better chance to work in a clinic, hospital, and any medical platform after going through this kind of externship.

Medical assistant externship vs student medical assistant-externship salary

Medical assistant externships and student medical assistant-externships have different pay scales, as shown below.

Medical Assistant ExternshipStudent Medical Assistant-Externship
Average salary$35,460$35,588
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $54,000Between $26,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between medical assistant externship and student medical assistant-externship education

There are a few differences between a medical assistant externship and a student medical assistant-externship in terms of educational background:

Medical Assistant ExternshipStudent Medical Assistant-Externship
Most common degreeDiploma, 31%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorMedical Assisting ServicesMedical Assisting Services
Most common college--

Medical assistant externship vs student medical assistant-externship demographics

Here are the differences between medical assistant externships' and student medical assistant-externships' demographics:

Medical Assistant ExternshipStudent Medical Assistant-Externship
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 15.3% Female, 84.7%Male, 23.8% Female, 76.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.9% Asian, 9.3% White, 50.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 9.4% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between medical assistant externship and student medical assistant-externship duties and responsibilities

Medical assistant externship example responsibilities.

  • Adhere to OSHA guidelines while performing instrument sterilization in addition to managing medical inventory.
  • Perform various clinical duties, such as vital signs, EKG's, urinalysis, PFT's, and rooming/interviewing patients.
  • Interview patients during check-in/check-out procedures to obtain their medical information following HIPAA standards.
  • Perform EKG, pregnancy test, vision & hearing examinations, as well as analyzed and document controls for urinalysis.
  • Back office duties including taking patients vitals, CLIA waive testing, and assisting the doctor and nurse practitioner as needed.
  • Assist podiatrists with patients suffering from complications relate to diabetes or obesity.
  • Show more

Student medical assistant-externship example responsibilities.

  • Perform EKG's, ear cleanings, injections, nail cultures and assist with women's yearly physicals.
  • Gain experience in performing routine patient care interventions while developing strong organizational skills while caring for patients.
  • Shadowed/Assist official personnel on performance of special procedures, patient evaluation, transporting patients, therapeutic exercises and body mechanics/functional mobility.
  • Observe various departments and operations within the hospital and clinical setting environment including surgery, radiology, urology, and emergency.
  • Review and administration of medications, allergies and other pharmacology relate items.
  • Perform CLIA wave laboratory testing.
  • Show more

Medical assistant externship vs student medical assistant-externship skills

Common medical assistant externship skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • Vital Signs, 13%
  • EKG, 8%
  • Office Procedures, 7%
  • Exam Rooms, 6%
  • Laboratory Specimens, 3%
Common student medical assistant-externship skills
  • Patients, 35%
  • Vital Signs, 11%
  • EKG, 5%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Data Entry, 3%
  • Surgery, 3%

Browse healthcare support jobs