Medical Assisting Specialty

[flipflop3214]

I'm currently deciding between two medical assisting job offers—one in a dermatology office and the other in an internal medicine office. I have six months of previous experience working as an MA in dermatology at a different practice, which I had to leave due to conflicts with my school schedule.

For medical school applications, does the specialty I work in matter? Would it be more beneficial to take the internal medicine position to demonstrate a broader range of clinical experience, or would staying in dermatology still be valuable?

I am impartial to either job because the teams I would be working with are both great and each specialty presents a different set of knowledge and interests for me.

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[Mr.Smile12]

If you are ambivalent, I would try something new and go for the IM office. The experience would likely help you more in your rotations since derm is just one specialty. Medical school is about broadening your perspective about health and wellness.

 

[pedneuro6894]

I would say IM. I've been an MA at a fam med/peds office for a few years now and it has been awesome. We see EVERYTHING. We may not directly manage all of the conditions, and we send a lot of referrals to specialists, but we are always aware and discussing these issues, and if conditions are well managed, we will take over prescribing and management. I've learned an insane amount of information, and I know the broadness of the field will pay off exponentially in med school.

P.S. While I have loved it as an MA, I would NEVER go into primary care as a physician lmao. It's great for learning tho

 

[AJS59]

I'd say first pick the one that's better job (considering pay, benefits, work environment, level of interesting work, etc.)

 

[LizzyM]

I'd say IM for the reasons described above, plus, being too fixated on derm (not saying you are) can be off-putting for some adcom members given that it is a very competitive specialty and if it is derm or bust you could end up very disappointed on match day.

 

[flipflop3214]

Thank you all for your help! Much appreciated!