I was wandering if any of you were a medical assistant before becoming a nurse.

I was a medical assistant for 7 years with a GP in a rural area. That's the job I enjoyed the most and got paid the least! It REALLY helped when I went back to school.

My best friend is an MA going for ADN. She had to retake several classes because of credit differences (2 different schools), but it definitely helped her with the enormous credit load required. She enjoys it (being an MA), but there's not much $$ in it and is a single mom.

I was a Certified Medical Assistant for 6 years in with a family practice doctor... It helped a great deal that I had an understanding of Medical Diagnosis, ... Being an R.N. has widened my horizons and offered autonomy. Hence, more responsibility. Nursing Diagnosis are aimed with the patient as the focus as opposed to Medical Diagnosis where the "problem" is the focus.

I LOVE BEING AN R.N.

i was a navy medic for 4 years, then an MA for 5 years, LPN for 6 years, and ive been an RN for 9 months or so. i think my medical assistant and military training helped me a GREAT deal in LPN school, and LPN helped me a great deal in RN school. i have read many posts on here about MA's thinking they are the same thing as nurses, but that is far from the truth. i never called myself a nurse when i was an MA...... i wouldve been totally lost in a hospital setting (med/surg, or LTC even) dont get me wrong,,, being an MA is a great job, u get to work alongside doctors and learn about diseases and treatments and stuff, but its not the same as being a nurse.

I was for four years. (well still in nursing school) I knew right away, still in medical assisting school that it was not going to be challenging enough for me but I had to wait until we could afford for me to go back to school full time without working; I worked during my pre-requs. It was a good experience for me but after one year of nursing I know way more than I ever did as a MA