Medical internship vs medical office administrator

The differences between medical interns and medical office administrators 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 office administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical internship has an average salary of $50,843, which is higher than the $34,252 average annual salary of a medical office administrator.

The top three skills for a medical internship include patients, patient care and vital signs. The most important skills for a medical office administrator are patients, patient care, and customer service.

Medical internship vs medical office administrator overview

	Medical Internship	Medical Office Administrator
Yearly salary	$50,843	$34,252
Hourly rate	$24.44	$16.47
Growth rate	16%	-8%
Number of jobs	127,692	179,503
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	37	49
Years of experience	12	2

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 medical office administrator do?

A medical office administrator is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties within a health care institution, supplying physicians and medical professionals with patients' information, and coordinating with insurance companies. Medical office administrators handle the information and data management system to ensure the accuracy of patients' details, medical history, and treatment plans. They also schedule doctor appointments and cancellations, as well as monitoring the inventory of medical supplies. A medical office administrator submits payment reports, respond to patients' inquiries and concerns, and process billing disputes.

Medical internship vs medical office administrator salary

Medical interns and medical office administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Internship	Medical Office Administrator
Average salary	$50,843	$34,252
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $77,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between medical internship and medical office administrator education

There are a few differences between a medical internship and a medical office administrator in terms of educational background:

	Medical Internship	Medical Office Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Health Care Administration
Most common college	-	-

Medical internship vs medical office administrator demographics

Here are the differences between medical interns' and medical office administrators' demographics:

	Medical Internship	Medical Office Administrator
Average age	37	49
Gender ratio	Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1%	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%
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%

Differences between medical internship and medical office administrator 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.

Medical office administrator example responsibilities.

Re-Evaluat & improve policy manual, develop standards for HIPPA, OSHA, manage care, billing and medical compliance.
Facilitate client relationships and manage surgery schedules, financial consultations, follow up care and ongoing maintenance.
Used knowledge of medical procedures and customer service, record medical histories and schedule patients for hospitalization and other procedures.
Scan new information such as daily progress notes, physical exams, labs and diagnostic testing into EMR.
Advise and counsel patient regarding food, fluid, medicine intake and restrictions prior to surgery including drop regime.
Organize patient charts and loose reports, as well as paper work from daily operations for scanning into EMR system.

Medical internship vs medical office administrator skills

Common medical internship skills

Patients, 34%
Patient Care, 10%
Vital Signs, 6%
Surgical Procedures, 4%
Surgery, 4%
EKG, 3%

Common medical office administrator skills

Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 10%
Customer Service, 8%
Insurance Verification, 5%
Phone Calls, 5%
Appointment Scheduling, 4%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Medical Internship
Medical Internship vs Medical Office Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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