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Student medical assistant-externship skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Jamie Myers,
Jamie Myers
Student medical assistant-externship example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical student medical assistant-externship skills. We ranked the top skills for student medical assistant-externships based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 35.1% of student medical assistant-externship resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a student medical assistant-externship needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 student medical assistant-externship skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use patients:
  • Shadowed/Assisted official personnel on performance of special procedures, patient evaluation, transporting patients, therapeutic exercises and body mechanics/functional mobility.
  • Assisted patients in accessing relevant information to increase understanding of cancer diagnoses and treatments.

2. Vital Signs

Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use vital signs:
  • Obtained vital signs and distributed oral and injection medications.
  • Greeted visitors, answered and forwarded phone calls, set up exam rooms, documented vital signs, and scheduled patient appointments

3. EKG

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use ekg:
  • Performed clinical tasks such as taking and recording vitals, operating EKG machine, performing finger sticks, and patient preparation.
  • Performed EKG's, ear cleanings, injections, nail cultures and assisted with women's yearly physicals.

4. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use cpr:
  • Experienced state-of-the-art critical care monitoring and treatment Gained experience reading ECG's, performing CPR and presenting patient cases during rounds
  • Assist with wound care dressing changes Provide patient comfort and positioning CPR certification

5. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use data entry:
  • Collected patient financial information and completed data entry.
  • General administrative support (mailing, scanning, faxing, data entry and maintain electronic and hard copy filling system).

6. Surgery

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use surgery:
  • Observed various departments and operations within the hospital and clinical setting environment including surgery, radiology, urology, and emergency.
  • Performed the General Surgery Surgical Physician Assistant duties.

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7. Urinalysis

Urinalysis can be defined as a urine test that helps examine the physical and chemical properties of urine. A test of this nature is mostly conducted to help aid in various medical diagnoses. The examination is carried out through test strips and as well through microscopes. Factors such as odor, color, transparency, and even volume play a key role in forming a diagnosis.

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use urinalysis:
  • Changed dressings, performed urinalysis testing and minor laboratory procedures.
  • Back Office: Taking patient vitals, giving injections and immunizations, blood draws, urinalysis, pregnancy tests, wound care

8. Venipuncture

Venipuncture, or also known as venapuncture, venepuncture, or venupuncture, is collecting blood directly from a vein, which is done mainly for laboratory purposes. It is typically performed by a phlebotomist.

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use venipuncture:
  • Administered injections, venipuncture, and laboratory tests.
  • Preformed Venipuncture, injections, and ear lavage.

9. Exam Rooms

An exam room in a hospital is a place where patients are examined by medical representatives. In several cases, the exam room distinguishes the doctor-patient relationship and is a critical component of the overall care process.

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use exam rooms:
  • Maintain clean, tidy, and stocked exam rooms.
  • Maintained exam rooms and organized supply closets.

10. Phlebotomy

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use phlebotomy:
  • Performed phlebotomy, Foley catheterizations, and blood sugar monitoring.
  • Performed EKGs and phlebotomy as needed.

11. EMR

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use emr:
  • Performed various front office duties such as: filing, scanning of documents, EMR system.
  • Recorded patient's medical history, vital statistics and information into charts and EMR.

12. Blood Pressure

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use blood pressure:
  • Provide bed side care by checking blood pressure, pulse, and respiration.
  • Obtained resting and exercise heart rate and blood pressure.

13. Appointment Scheduling

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use appointment scheduling:
  • Complete clerical support including appointment scheduling, confirming, insurance verification, copying insurance cards, with proof of patient identification.
  • Provided general office support including contacting pharmacy/renewing prescriptions, filing, faxing, stocking examination rooms and appointment scheduling and confirmations.

14. Patient Charts

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use patient charts:
  • Organized, filed all patient charts, maintained alphabetical and numerical filing systems.
  • Provided Quality and Assessment reviews on patient charts.

15. Triage

Triage is a method of prioritizing a patient or a group depending on the severity, diagnosis, and condition of the disease needing immediate medical care. It is often to determine a condition and identifying the appropriate destination before assessing where the patient will be going. A triage nurse commonly performs it.

Here's how student medical assistant-externships use triage:
  • Participated in hospital triage with medical and surgical cases.
  • Assisted doctors with procedures, patient triage/telephone triage.
top-skills

What skills help Student Medical Assistant-Externships find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on student medical assistant-externship resumes?

Jamie Myers

Education Program Associate, Allied Health Coordinator, Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton

Bilingual, Phlebotomy, EKGs.

What soft skills should all student medical assistant-externships possess?

Jamie Myers

Education Program Associate, Allied Health Coordinator, Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton

Critical thinking, problem-solving, dependability.

What hard/technical skills are most important for student medical assistant-externships?

Jamie Myers

Education Program Associate, Allied Health Coordinator, Pennsylvania State University - Hazleton

Computer skills.

What student medical assistant-externship skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Janice Noteboom, MHA/Ed., CMA (AAMA)Janice Noteboom, MHA/Ed., CMA (AAMA) LinkedIn profile

Faculty Coordinator of Allied Health/Medical Assistant Program Director, Midstate College

duties vary, depending on the medical office/hospital/urgent/specialty clinics
where they are employed. Below are some specific job duties that are very
common in the day-in-the-life of a Medical Assistant (these duties include, but
are not limited to the following):
 Greeting patients and checking them in at the Waiting room window
 Collecting vital signs from patients
 Answer phones as needed
 Assist with scheduling patient appointments
 Data entry of patient information in an electronic medical record (EMR)
 Using various computer applications
 Transmitting prescription refills
 Insurance coding & billing
 Obtain or completing procedures for preauthorizations/hospital
admissions/outside testing/etc.
 Collecting specimens for Point-of-Care testing or send outs to reference
labs
 Venipuncture/Examination Assistance to provider/other duties as needed

List of student medical assistant-externship skills to add to your resume

Student medical assistant-externship skills

The most important skills for a student medical assistant-externship resume and required skills for a student medical assistant-externship to have include:

  • Patients
  • Vital Signs
  • EKG
  • CPR
  • Data Entry
  • Surgery
  • Urinalysis
  • Venipuncture
  • Exam Rooms
  • Phlebotomy
  • EMR
  • Blood Pressure
  • Appointment Scheduling
  • Patient Charts
  • Triage
  • Patient Education
  • Medication Administration
  • Insurance Verification
  • Medical History
  • Patient History
  • Internal Medicine
  • Front Desk
  • HIPAA
  • Medical Terminology
  • Catheter
  • Blood Draws
  • PowerPoint
  • Medical Procedures
  • Tracheostomy
  • Blood Glucose
  • Office Procedures
  • Patient Appointments
  • Test Results
  • Pediatrics
  • Rooms Neat
  • EHR
  • Medical Student
  • Patient Vitals
  • RAN
  • Patient Examinations
  • Patient Rooms
  • Telephone Calls
  • Hippa
  • CLIA
  • Fax Machines
  • Data Collection
  • Treatment Rooms
  • Multi-Line Phone System
  • Administrative Tasks
  • Allergies

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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