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Medical internship vs clinical medical assistant

The differences between medical interns and clinical medical assistants 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 internship and a clinical medical assistant. Additionally, a medical internship has an average salary of $50,843, which is higher than the $37,052 average annual salary of a clinical medical assistant.

The top three skills for a medical internship include patients, patient care and vital signs. The most important skills for a clinical medical assistant are patients, patient care, and vital signs.

Medical internship vs clinical medical assistant overview

Medical InternshipClinical Medical Assistant
Yearly salary$50,843$37,052
Hourly rate$24.44$17.81
Growth rate16%16%
Number of jobs127,692233,464
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Associate Degree, 27%
Average age3737
Years of experience1212

What does a medical internship do?

When it comes to a medical internship, one of the primary duties is to attend to the patients' needs while under a more experienced physician's supervision. During this period, the medical interns must rotate in various fields of specialties or departments for exposure. Aside from learning and observing, there are also instances when medical interns are required to produce necessary reports and documentation, communicate with patients and families, and take part in more challenging cases.

What does a clinical medical assistant do?

A clinical medical assistant specializes in performing administrative and clinical tasks in a hospital or similar setting. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering a patient's information, medical history, test results, and other essential documentation, and updating patient medical records. Other tasks include reaching out to patients' families and guardians, assisting health workers with room preparation and patient care, and preparing medications and other treatments, all in adherence to a physician's directives. Furthermore, a clinical medical assistant may conduct inspections to ensure that the hospital complies with government regulations.

Medical internship vs clinical medical assistant salary

Medical interns and clinical medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Medical InternshipClinical Medical Assistant
Average salary$50,843$37,052
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $77,000Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MAVancouver, WA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyTakeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.Brigham and Women's Hospital
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between medical internship and clinical medical assistant education

There are a few differences between a medical internship and a clinical medical assistant in terms of educational background:

Medical InternshipClinical Medical Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Associate Degree, 27%
Most common majorHealth Care AdministrationMedical Assisting Services
Most common college--

Medical internship vs clinical medical assistant demographics

Here are the differences between medical interns' and clinical medical assistants' demographics:

Medical InternshipClinical Medical Assistant
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 24.9% Female, 75.1%Male, 10.8% Female, 89.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.2% Asian, 9.7% White, 50.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between medical internship and clinical medical assistant duties and responsibilities

Medical internship example responsibilities.

  • Adhere to OSHA guidelines while performing instrument sterilization in addition to managing medical inventory.
  • Room patients, vitals, schedule, injections, clia waive tests, womb care ,
  • Learned how to triage patients and make sure they are ready for the doctor to see.
  • Organize and fill patient medical records, telephone triage, schedule appointments, and provide patient education.
  • Organize, prep, and assist patients in putting on heart monitors for EKG and heart rate readings in the lab.
  • Assist physicians in taking blood pressure, EKG, ultrasound, measuring heart beat and recording all vitals in physical examinations.
  • Show more

Clinical medical assistant example responsibilities.

  • Obtain vital signs, calculate body mass indexes, administer intramuscular injections, administer venipuncture on patients using aseptic technique.
  • Treat patients and coworkers with dignity, respect and compassion.
  • Obtain EKG's and vitals along with medical history, family history, current medications and chief complaints.
  • Present data in a Powerpoint presentation in mentoring professor's classes.
  • Process super-bills for submission to CPR billing, and daily bank deposits.
  • Order new equipment and work with word, excel, and PowerPoint.
  • Show more

Medical internship vs clinical medical assistant skills

Common medical internship skills
  • Patients, 34%
  • Patient Care, 10%
  • Vital Signs, 6%
  • Surgical Procedures, 4%
  • Surgery, 4%
  • EKG, 3%
Common clinical medical assistant skills
  • Patients, 19%
  • Patient Care, 12%
  • Vital Signs, 10%
  • CPR, 4%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Medical Assistants, 4%

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