Ad for an MA program

[psu_213]

Ok, so maybe this will get moved to a new forum...so be it.

I just saw an ad for a medical assistant program at a for profit school. A young lady talks about how great it would be to work as an MA ('cutting edge technology' and all that fun stuff that we know MAs deal with all the time). However, the part that I found funniest--and most annoying--was at the end of the ad, the young lady turns 90 degrees and say "plus, there is all the cute scrubs!"

Sorry if this post sounds rude, but I found the ad particularly hideous (and I hope this person gets a job where they make her wear a uniform of solid white scrubs!).

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I am not a fan of government being involved in everything, but this is a case of false advertising, plain and simple. The ad gives one the impression that you will be working at the doctor's side with their (the doctor's) 'cutting edge technology.' If someone is foolish enough to be swayed by 'cool scrubs' then they will also be influences by the false claims made by the 'school.'

But see, it's not false advertising. The cutting edge technology might actually BE in the building in which the MA is employed. They DO "work at the doctor's side" in a few rare and brief instances, so that's not a lie...just incredibly overly exaggerated.

And, again, why is someone who is foolish, gullible, whatever, a reason to make government interference an issue? I happen to think the majority of the liberal arts cr*p taught under the guise of "Humanities" is a joke, but if someone wants to buy the class....so be it.

The exception is PghSN's point, that someone being stupid and choosing a worthless education doesn't mean that taxpayer/government funding should be used in the form of student grants. They want to buy stupid, they can pay for the stupidity.

[OCNRN63, RN]

it's okay to laugh at me :) early in the morning on my way to my rn job with my bsn, i hear these commercials and think, "hey, maybe i should go to school to become an ma." lol they run these convincing adds so early in the morning when i'm so sleepy. i can see how someone could be sucked in with the "cutting-edge technology, saving lives, medical professional, blah, blah, blah" non-sense talk. i feel bad for people who do get sucked in.

​but they get to wear cute scrubs while they're doing it!

[OCNRN63, RN]

what does one learn in ma school? it seems like most of the stuff can be taught in a one week orientation.

the cynical side of me wants to think they have a lecture on "how to pass yourself off as a nurse."

if someone really wants to be and ma, that's great. i am all for people having a job they love. however, i think it really says something about a profession when they think (and they want everyone else to think) that the biggest plus of the job is 'cute scrubs.'

i know two mas; one is a cma, the other couldn't pass the certification exam. both freely give out medical advice. if someone asks me something, unless they're my parents, i tell them to take it up with their family doctor.

the one pretended to be an expert when it came to my cancer issues. she acted like she understood issues it took me almost a year to get a handle on when i started in oncology. i guess i must be slow.

[OCNRN63, RN]

perhaps i should tell people i'm studying to be a neurosurgeon. i read an article on it very recently, you know....and saw a video.

​have you recently stayed at a holiday inn?

[SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS]

Personally, I think the elephant in the room is, why were MA programs created in the first place? I understand that they are trained to do the work involved in an outpatient medical practice. But why not just hire what already existed, nurses. If RNs cost too much, fine then, LPNs. Why create another class of pseudo-nurses?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Personally, I think the elephant in the room is, why were MA programs created in the first place? I understand that they are trained to do the work involved in an outpatient medical practice. But why not just hire what already existed, nurses. If RNs cost too much, fine then, LPNs. Why create another class of pseudo-nurses?

I'm just guessing here, but I wonder if they didn't come out of the time when the last nursing shortage peaked, when it was just too expensive to hire an actual nurse because they were being paid considerably more in acute settings? And when there's suddenly a bottleneck of applicants trying to get into nursing schools, the MA programs look like a faster/easier alternative that still gets them "into the medical field"? Just a thought.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

​have you recently stayed at a holiday inn?

if i said yes, would that make me studying to be a hotel...? lol.....

[PeepnBiscuitsRN]

I think MA programs were started as a way to save money in clinics- since initially, MA's were taught to do the LPN's job, the Lab Tech work, the X-Ray tech work, and the clerical work. Like a jack of all trades. I thought MA's came around in the 80's, but believe it or not, one day I was watching the Game Show Network, and it was a re-run of "Match Game '73" and the one contestant was a Medical Assistant. But now there are lab techs to do all the lab stuff, there are Medical Office Assistants to do clerical work, there are coders to do coding, there are rad-techs for radiology, and there are MA's and LPN's. I was told once that MA's were also brought in so they could phase out LPN's in favor of someone who could do more for less money.

I just get bent out of shape when I hear the grandiose lies the recruiters spew forth- I had considered being an MA before I chose LPN, which I feel like was a better choice anyway. The recruiter I spoke to...she spoke really fast, in a really shrill tone that only became more shrill as she described all the glorious things I'd be doing- including writing prescriptions! It was some time ago, so there might have been some misunderstanding on both of our parts for that last gem.

If you're a medical assistant then more power to you, as long as you are making ends meet and enjoying what you do then swell. I enjoyed my almost 5 years as a LPN working in a clinic. Some people really just know they want to work in a clinic and that's great, but for heavensake, be discriminatory when choosing your educational institution!

[trauma_lama, BSN]

Ugh. Sad. In my area, the school I attend for my ADN is well known and enjoys a great reputation among area hospitals and universities alike. Coincidentally, my community college doesn't ever have any ads on TV or radio (nor do any of the area universities). My feeling: if a school needs to (and has the funds to) advertise how great their MA/cosmetology/technology/etc degrees are, you are probably NOT going to get your money's worth if you enroll there. Just my thoughts. And side note: including my prereqs/textbooks/supplies/uniforms, I will come out of my program spending around $5k. Spread that out over 4 years or so, and this is one lady who won't be in debt come NCLEX time :-D

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

​have you recently stayed at a holiday inn?

oh, my word, really lol now! asked dh about this very weird post of yours, and he laughed at me, reminding me of that long-running ad campaign for holiday inn....sigh...memory starting to slip!

[WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN]

the government is currently going after certain for-profit schools who are currently targeting veterans in order to get those gi bill benefits. you would be surprised on how many schools suddenly open up in an area like mine that has seen an increase in soldiers and their families moving in due to brac realignment. all advertising that they are endorsed by veterans groups or the va which is not usually true. this is one of the things the governement is going after them for, saying they are va endorsed when they are not. also the military is trying to educate soldiers on what to look for in schools and colleges. i think the va has on it's website a listing for veterans of schools they actually do endorse, and i guarantee you a lot of those for-profits are not on the list nor can they pay to get on it.

personally i wish i had gone the cc route to my adn, but at the time i was tired of the wait lists and the good old boy network. meaning you almost had to know someone, who knew someone else to get into the cc closest to me. that and the fact that i already had most of my pre-reqs, but did not have a current gpa also factored into my decision. but i cringe everytime i see ads on tv or the radio for those for-profits saying "you can have a great paying career in only...........". my sister-in-law is currenly going to become a "unit manager" and told me the other day that she would be supervising nurses. i had to explain to her exactly what most unit managers i've ever worked with actually did, they ran the desk, not the unit.

[PeepnBiscuitsRN]

Also concerning is the fact that these for profit schools have started up BSN programs. I've gotten many a flyer or advertisment in the mail from a couple of schools and man, again with the grandiose claims! They get make some really harsh statements about Associate Degree RN's too, like super pro-BSN bandwagon propaganda. Obviously it's because people going for their associate degree RN would look for a community/tech school- which means they're not going to the for-profit school- therefore the for profit school gets no money...so why not intimidate the poor potiental students with lies- LIES I TELL YOU!!