Physical therapy internship vs certified medical technician

The differences between physical therapy interns and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapy internship has an average salary of $71,624, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a physical therapy internship include patients, physical therapy assistants and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Physical therapy internship vs certified medical technician overview

	Physical Therapy Internship	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$71,624	$38,859
Hourly rate	$34.43	$18.68
Growth rate	17%	5%
Number of jobs	127,064	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	41	44
Years of experience	-	12

What does a physical therapy internship do?

Physical therapist interns work with patients to determine and improve their function and movement. The interns assist in the rehabilitation process through body system development and storage. They promote the wellbeing and health of the patients through internship programs. Through the physical therapy internship, interns learn about nutrition, treatment, and the general rehabilitation procedure of patients. It also provides support not just for the patients but also with the staff.

What does a certified medical technician do?

Certified Medical Technicians are specialists in medical diagnoses by performing laboratory testing and analysis for hospitals and physicians. Their duties include lab sanitization to prepare for testing and collection, recording medical samples for testing, specimen preparation, blood drawing for donation and testing, and assisting physicians with sample collection as well as equipment handling in surgical rooms. They must also understand how to use complex and sensitive testing equipment such as cell counters, analyzers, microscopes, and centrifuges.

Physical therapy internship vs certified medical technician salary

Physical therapy interns and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Therapy Internship	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$71,624	$38,859
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $96,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Pasadena, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Oracle	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between physical therapy internship and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a physical therapy internship and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Physical Therapy Internship	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Nursing
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of Connecticut

Physical therapy internship vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between physical therapy interns' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Physical Therapy Internship	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	41	44
Gender ratio	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 14.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 15.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	12%	8%

Differences between physical therapy internship and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Physical therapy internship example responsibilities.

Achieve high level of patients satisfaction due to sound clinical management, quality of care and compassion.
Monitor vital signs of all patients and devise physical therapy sessions commensurate with patient stability.
Evaluate and treat CVA and TBI patients in the inpatient setting.
Observe and assist in measuring patients for range of motion limitations following a CVA.
Perform evaluations and co-treatments with OT's and delegate treatment plans to PTA's.
Assist in putting patients on and off of 2 war traction machines and the decompression machine.

Certified medical technician example responsibilities.

Maintain the cleanliness of storage areas, trays, centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers and work area.
Administer medications to patients according to their medication record as scheduled, as needed according to physician orders.
Perform laboratory test and procedures in areas including chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and bacteriology.
Perform first aid and apply CPR when necessary.
Perform first aid or CPR during medical emergencies until paramedics arrive.
Assist the residents in their ADL needs and prepare their meals.

Physical therapy internship vs certified medical technician skills

Common physical therapy internship skills

Patients, 40%
Physical Therapy Assistants, 12%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Ultrasound, 4%
Patient Care, 3%
Occupational Therapy, 2%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Physical Therapy Internship
Physical Therapy Internship vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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