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The differences between medical interns and medical clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a medical internship, becoming a medical clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical internship has an average salary of $50,843, which is higher than the $32,439 average annual salary of a medical clerk.
The top three skills for a medical internship include patients, patient care and vital signs. The most important skills for a medical clerk are patients, medical terminology, and data entry.
| Medical Internship | Medical Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $50,843 | $32,439 |
| Hourly rate | $24.44 | $15.60 |
| Growth rate | 16% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 127,692 | 166,322 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 26% |
| Average age | 37 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
A medical clerk works in the administrative area of a medical facility or hospital. The medical clerk collects all patient information and medical records. The clerk also does all the clinic or hospital paperwork and generates reports of all transactions that transpired in a day's work. The medical clerk also processes admission and discharge papers, medical charts, properly file and safeguard all patient records and secure them from unauthorized access. The medical clerk is expected to be highly organized, capable of handling pressure, and has good communication skills.
Medical interns and medical clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Internship | Medical Clerk | |
| Average salary | $50,843 | $32,439 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $77,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Minnesota |
| Best paying company | Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | Brinks Gilson |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a medical internship and a medical clerk in terms of educational background:
| Medical Internship | Medical Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 26% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between medical interns' and medical clerks' demographics:
| Medical Internship | Medical Clerk | |
| Average age | 37 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% | Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |