Entry level or experienced: how to choose a virtual medical assistant, care coordinator or scribe

The difference in one line

An Entry hire is newer to this kind of work and learns it with you. An Experienced hire has done this task, or similar work, in US healthcare, so they know how things are done, even if in a different EHR or online tool. They reach full speed sooner and make fewer mistakes.

Medical assistant

An Entry medical assistant is clinically literate and learns your procedures during onboarding. An Experienced one arrives knowing the work, which is why quality work such as reviewing quality measures needs experience with the measures your specialty is judged on and with the tools you use. Tell us which measures and tools in your request. We promise experience with no named system or measure.

Care coordinator

This role is filled from clinically trained people: physicians, medical graduates and nurses. An Entry care coordinator is newer to US healthcare, and learns your protocols and where your clinicians draw the line on what they tell patients. An Experienced one has worked in US healthcare, so they know how the system runs and reach full speed sooner. In both cases, what a person may do under your protocols is for you and your clinicians to decide.

Scribe

For scribes we recommend Experienced. A scribe with no EHR and no US healthcare experience cannot give you on-time chart closure: they need your workflow, the insurance context and your quality measures taught, and charts take longer to be ready for sign-off. An Experienced scribe keeps pace in a fast clinic and has charts ready sooner.

How to decide

• If you cannot spend time teaching, hire Experienced.
• If you have a clear workflow and time to teach it, Entry can fit, for roles other than a scribe.
• If you only want Entry or only want Experienced, say so in your request: the quote form has an option for it.

Timing

Experienced candidates take longer to find. The typical time to meet your first candidate is about 1 week at Entry level and 2–3 weeks at Experienced, or within 3 business days with a Priority search. How hiring works shows the full process, and the roles we place says what each one handles.