Medical Receptionist or Medical Administrative Assistant?

Your main word you need to look at is "Administration." As a receptionist, you'll be answering phones, filing, setting appointments, etc. As an admin assistant you'll be doing more of a helping the administration (doctors, nurses) out with things they just don't have time for. You'll be keeping their calendars straight, setting up meetings, taking minutes at those meetings, placing phone calls for them, etc. It's a higher expectation position. Note - Medical Assistant is different from a Medical Admin Assistant. Much luck to you!

A Medical Assistant is much more involved with the Patients, Dr. A medical assistant will be trained in things like taking vital signs, drawing blood, medical records. My sister is an MA and serves as the office manager as well as the Dr.s assistant. She calls in his prescriptions to the pharmacy, takes vitals etc. A medical receptionist schedules appointments, collects after visits etc. A medical assistant will command a higher salary. Call your school and see if they have a catalog describing what training is provided in each program. Also find out if they offer placement assistance after you complete.

I have been both and both jobs consist of the same job descriptions. Just depends on the company you work for. MAA might make more because it has a fancier title, but they are pretty close in pay.