Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Medical Assistants And EMTs
Entry-level medical field positions for undergraduates include medical scribe roles— "a cool position because you can learn a lot"— and front desk administration. For hands-on patient care, EMT and medical assistant positions are options, requiring training or certification, although some medical assistant jobs may offer on-the-job training.
Entry-Level Positions, Healthcare Careers, Medical Assisting, Emergency Medical Services, Professional Training
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Talia Wexler
Medical Assistant OR EMT
Medical Clinic and San Diego Ambulance for EMT
Loyola Marymount University
N/A
Entertainment, Music & Arts, Fine Arts, Music
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness
Medical
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Entry-level medical scribe positions are available to undergraduate students, offering opportunities to learn about patient interaction and medical procedures.
2. Front desk positions in medical settings provide administrative experience and insight into practice operations, often without prior experience requirements.
3. EMT and medical assistant roles offer hands-on patient care; EMT requires specific training, while some medical assistant positions may provide on-the-job training, although certification is typically needed.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
If you're currently in college, you could consider looking for a medical scribe position. This type of job often doesn't require experience, though it can depend on the office's location and specific rules.
As a scribe, you would take notes for the doctor, nurse, or PA while they see patients. It's a good position to learn a lot and observe patient interactions, essentially being a fly on the wall while documenting. I started out scribing, and I found it quite interesting.
Front desk positions are another option that often don't require prior experience. Working at the front desk involves administrative tasks and answering phones. You can learn how a practice operates from that perspective.
If you're interested in more hands-on patient care roles, both EMT and medical assistant are good options. For EMT, you must complete training, which can be done through a program at your school or an outside institution. I completed a five-week accelerated course outside of school.
After the training, you take an exam. If you pass the class, you then take the national exam. Once you pass that, you can work as an EMT.
For a medical assistant, you might get lucky and find a job that will train you, so certification isn't always required. That's what happened to me. However, most medical assistant positions do require certification, which you can also obtain online.