Medical scribe vs medical research assistant

The differences between medical scribes and medical research 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 scribe and a medical research assistant. Additionally, a medical research assistant has an average salary of $40,303, which is higher than the $30,045 average annual salary of a medical scribe.

The top three skills for a medical scribe include patients, medical terminology and excellent organizational. The most important skills for a medical research assistant are patients, patient care, and DR.

Medical scribe vs medical research assistant overview

	Medical Scribe	Medical Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$30,045	$40,303
Hourly rate	$14.44	$19.38
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	80,035	125,533
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

What does a medical scribe do?

As a medical scribe, their main responsibility is to follow a physician's daily work and do charting of patient encounters in real-time by accessing their medical electronic health record (EHR). It is their duty to make sure the patient schedules are followed, generate referral letters for physicians and manage and sort medical documents within the EHR. Medical scribes can be held as data custodians, medical assistants, and nurses to focus on patient in-take and care throughout clinic hours. In addition, they manage patient flow through the clinic and increase productivity to cater to more patients.

What does a medical research assistant do?

A medical research assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar environment. Their responsibilities include gathering and organizing samples, preparing the laboratories and other facilities, compiling and managing data, updating databases, and conducting examinations and analysis, all while adhering to the laboratory's policies and regulations. They may also liaise with clients, answering inquiries as necessary. Furthermore, it is vital to maintain an active line with researchers, coordinating with them every step of the way to ensure an efficient workflow.

Medical scribe vs medical research assistant salary

Medical scribes and medical research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Scribe	Medical Research Assistant
Average salary	$30,045	$40,303
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $38,000	Between $25,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Worcester, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Boston Medical Center	Norton Rose Fulbright
Best paying industry	Health Care	Education

Differences between medical scribe and medical research assistant education

There are a few differences between a medical scribe and a medical research assistant in terms of educational background:

	Medical Scribe	Medical Research Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Biology	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	-	-

Medical scribe vs medical research assistant demographics

Here are the differences between medical scribes' and medical research assistants' demographics:

	Medical Scribe	Medical Research Assistant
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 50.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between medical scribe and medical research assistant duties and responsibilities

Medical scribe example responsibilities.

Manage sensitive and confidential materials such as patient health records following HIPAA regulations.
Adhere to OSHA guidelines while performing instrument sterilization in addition to managing medical inventory.
Rotate in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, orthopedic surgery, and burn medicine departments
Transcribe patient orders including laboratory tests results, radiology test findings, medications, allergies.
Utilize PC and LIS to enter and retrieve patient data, includes verifying orders and retrieving results using HIPAA compliance.
Perform Phlebotomy procedures on patients.

Medical research assistant example responsibilities.

Create and maintain confidential patient files; implement EHR systems to automate patient records management for the purposes of meaningful use.
Conduct intake and triage of medical histories for new and returning patients.
Record patient's medical history, vital statistics and information into charts and EMR.
Perform appointment scheduling and registration for patients as well as updating patient demographic and insurance information.
Perform tests (EKG's), as per protocol.
Sustain compliance with OSHA and HIPPA standards.

Medical scribe vs medical research assistant skills

Common medical scribe skills

Patients, 18%
Medical Terminology, 17%
Excellent Organizational, 10%
Physician Assistants, 8%
Emergency Medicine, 6%
HIPAA, 4%

Common medical research assistant skills

Patients, 20%
Patient Care, 10%
DR, 9%
Vital Signs, 6%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Phlebotomy, 5%

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Medical Scribe
Medical Scribe vs Medical Research Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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