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Volunteer Medical Assistant? How do I list this clinical experience?


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So for  bit of time, I worked (for free) at a pediatrician's office primarily doing triage. 

 

Basically performing and recording data for height, weight, blood pressure, and temperature then leading the patients to their respective rooms.

 

My question is do I list this position as "volunteer medical assistant" or something else?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor "Medical assistants often take medical histories and record vital signs of patients" so that seems fine there. But the Bureau also says "Most medical assistants have postsecondary education such as a certificate. Others enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn through on-the-job training." 

 

While I did learn on the job, I don't won't to seem dishonest in saying that I was an MA of any sort because I have no official schooling or certification.

 

Any ideas on how I should properly list myself?

 

Thanks.


 

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Hello!

I am currently a medical assistant and have been since I graduated. I, like you, am not certified, but I still listed my title on my CASPA as "Medical Assistant" under direct patient care experience. I think it is more than ok to list yourself as a MA, as long as this is your job title and what your supervisors would call you. As for the volunteer portion, I don't think it is necessary to put it in your title because in CASPA they ask if you were paid for your work experience. Just mark "No" there. Hope this helped a bit!

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Thanks for the response!

While it does make me feel more secure in using the title as "Medical Assistant" should I denote in the duties section that I was trained on the job?

Additionally, my time there was "Seasonal" as the office was five hours away (one way). So, I was only able to accrue about 90 hours.

Would it still be prudent to use that title? 

 

I don't want to appropriate the position, but I also don't want to sell myself short.

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In the CASPA Application, there is also an option under the "Frequency" Tab where you can specify if the job was Seasonal/Full-time/Part-time. I would just mark Seasonal and explain that situation.  And like I said earlier, if your supervisors would consider you a Medical Assistant, I would use the title. Otherwise, if you're this worried about the title, call yourself a "Pediatric Volunteer" and just make sure to describe your position thoroughly so they know you had considerable responsibilities in the practice. Just my opinion.  

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  • 1 month later...

Medical assistants have much more responsibility than taking vitals signs, they also draw blood, give injections, EKGs, etc. I would list it as Clinic or Pediatric Volunteer, in the health care experience. section. Either way, your duties are listed in CASPA and it is considered health care experience. But, stating that you are a Medical Assistant to "feel more secure" is basically lying because you aren't drawing blood, giving injections, running lab tests, authorizing rxs, refilling, etc, like the duties of an MA. 

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  • 1 month later...

There are two types of the medical assistant duties. First one is Administrative and second one is the clinical. 

Administrative work involves following duties to do.

  •  Answering the phone calls
  •  Fill out insurance forms 
  • Set appointments and patient records  

and if you are certified medical assistant then following clinical duties are part of your job. 

  •    Take the patient history 
  •    Draw the blood samples 
  •    Vital sign

There are several of the other functions a medical helper might has to be perform. So you can even list yourself as a medical assistant if you are doing administrative work too. 

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