CNA vs Medical Assistant

soon_to_be_LPN-Nurse · Sep 4, 2008

ky dreamer- are you by any chance taking the cna class at the bctcs leestown campus?
i only ask because the day/time/# of weeks is exactly what i'm taking too!

hey there, da314

nope, i'm attending the one in mt. sterling at the voc. school.

good luck,

CNA_Timmy · Sep 7, 2008

Don't do it!!! MA school is a RIP OFF! I have said it on a few posts... you go to school, pay lots of money, and get a job paying the same as a CNA. In my area MAs and CNA make the same bassic pay, and CNA in the hospital make a bit more. My doctor has offered me a job in her office numerous times... I politely turn it down.. she says she understands. The market is flooded with MAs... we have three for profit schools in a five mile radius offering the program as well as the community college. Go the CNA route!

sonomala · Sep 7, 2008

I'm told its a kind of geographical thing, some areas doctors offices love MAs others like mine, they're not thrilled and the hospitals don't hire them. Another example is PCTS some areas have them, we have four major hospitals around and don't have any. I was told to go from CNA to either nursing or another speciality but to avoid MA. Just depends on where you live I guess :shrug:

CNA_Timmy · Sep 7, 2008

I am a CNA, but in the hospital my title is PCT... it is basically CNA with training in EKG and a few other small tasks. I know some health training schools offer a PCT or nurse tech program, but they are all basically CNA with some additional training. I was about to start one when I was called by the hospital and they told me they would be training me in the additional tasks needed.

rph3664 · Sep 7, 2008

Don't do it!!! MA school is a RIP OFF! I have said it on a few posts... you go to school, pay lots of money, and get a job paying the same as a CNA. In my area MAs and CNA make the same bassic pay, and CNA in the hospital make a bit more. My doctor has offered me a job in her office numerous times... I politely turn it down.. she says she understands. The market is flooded with MAs... we have three for profit schools in a five mile radius offering the program as well as the community college. Go the CNA route!

And those for profit schools just coincidentally charge whatever is the maximum amount you can get on student loans! The default rates are enormous because people can't get jobs that pay well enough to pay off the loans, but what does the school care? They have their money.

A woman who used to cut my hair told me about a trade school that was investigated by the state because the beauty and barber student weren't passing boards, and when they saw the students, they knew immediately why they weren't passing - a large percentage of their students were mentally retarded. They were in these job training programs to get people off welfare, but there was no way they could be gainfully employed in a skilled trade because they just didn't have the intellect to do so.

I have not heard of this happening with MA programs; maybe it does.

:confused:

CandAmommy · Sep 7, 2008

All I know is those for profit schools are a big rip off..(hint everest university) I know, I will be paying my loans FOREVER

Miwila · Sep 8, 2008

And those for profit schools just coincidentally charge whatever is the maximum amount you can get on student loans! The default rates are enormous because people can't get jobs that pay well enough to pay off the loans, but what does the school care? They have their money.
A woman who used to cut my hair told me about a trade school that was investigated by the state because the beauty and barber student weren't passing boards, and when they saw the students, they knew immediately why they weren't passing - a large percentage of their students were mentally retarded. They were in these job training programs to get people off welfare, but there was no way they could be gainfully employed in a skilled trade because they just didn't have the intellect to do so.
I have not heard of this happening with MA programs; maybe it does.

It happens. I once took courses at a vocational school where MA students who failed every test still managed to make "D's" in their classes and move on to the next course. Why? Because as long as that student stays in the school the school makes money off of them. And even students who do well suffer because they graduate from a school with a reputation for sending out workers who know nothing...and well the rest is obvious.

rph3664 · Sep 8, 2008

It happens. I once took courses at a vocational school where MA students who failed every test still managed to make "D's" in their classes and move on to the next course. Why? Because as long as that student stays in the school the school makes money off of them. And even students who do well suffer because they graduate from a school with a reputation for sending out workers who know nothing...and well the rest is obvious.

In other words, diploma mills.

charley75 · Oct 11, 2008

I have been a medical assistant for 12 years and make about $18 a hour- i love it!

teiladay · Oct 14, 2009

I have been a medical assistant for 12 years and make about $18 a hour- i love it!

I feel compelled to put this old post into perspective. This is not a dig at charley75, but rather a dose of reality for all the youngsters out there who seem to think less than (about) $22 hr is good money. It's not.

Let's reverse engineer reality shall we? (It is understood that there are many other variables that come into play)

In general, at a minimum, a person needs to make $35,000 per annum or more to purchase a home in a decent neighborhood (impossible on $35k annually in many locales across the U.S.) have money for savings, have money for emergencies, food, mortgage/rent, utilities, car payment(s), etc...

Ok, let's do the math:

$35,000 annually, means you'd have to make roughly $45,000 to offset 20% worth of federal, state, & property taxes, medicare, etc..

So we take $45,000/12 = $3750 per month .... and $3750/4 weeks = $937.5 per week gross pay, = $23.5 per hour.

Think about it... a 21 year old that graduates with a degree in elect. engineering can realistically find a job starting around $50k per annum. That's $26 per hour for a young'n that has barely been out of High School 5 years, and hasn't had a job since working at Arby's in his/her Jr. year of High School !

In 12 years, a person could've finished an undergraduate degree, med school + residency = $80k annually even at, or near the bottom %tile.

or

undergrad, then law school + a LLM (masters of laws) in tax law (total of 9 years)

or

BSN + MSN (Practitioner) midwife/critical care/etc.. $50k - 80k is realistic across many locales.

or

2 year LPN, no other training, and starting at $13 per hour (varies of course).

or

2 year RN, no other training, and starting at $17 per hour (varies of course).

Again, just to put things into perspective, I'd be really steamed to be making $18 per hour after working in the field for over a decade. $18 per hr. is great if you're living with your parents, or working at UPS or FedEx while you finish up college. But for people who want to purchase a home in a middle class neighborhood with really low crime, a home built in the last 10 years with at least 2,000 - 2,400 sq ft. (conditioned), 3-4 bedrooms, 2 bath, 2 car garage, at least 1 car that is very dependable, etc...

$18 per hour isn't going to cut it... and after 12 years, hardly keeps up with inflation!

** I'm using this purely for awareness purposes- When you do the math, you'll find that an $18 hour job (after 12 years) is the kind of job/career that keeps countless (not all) women financially stuck in crummy and or abusive relationships only because they lacked the financial power to walk away.

I encourage all women to invest in a job/career/training/education that gives them the better options in life.

Very respectfully..

Miwila · Oct 14, 2009

Agree to disagree. I am all for people acquiring as much education as they're able to work into their lives but we also shouldn't presume everyone else wants the exact same lifestyle we ourselves consider to be ideal. "Good" money should depend on whether someone earns enough to live their version of a happy life and take care of their personal responsibilities without being a burden on other people. Not everyone feels deprived if they can't live in a four bedroom house with a two car garage. Maybe they find their joy and fulfillment in other things. It's a matter of personal preference. So again while I do believe in furthering education, if someone earns 18k and manages it correctly, then whether or not they are making "good" money really depends on their personal preferences.

charley75 · Oct 15, 2009

Miwila completely agree. Though I am not working as a Medical Asst any longer and now a RN making much more I am not as happy!! Happiness and enjoying your job is major for myself. I have no children and married so Teiladay, making 18 a hour worked for me. I may have a degree now but with that I also have student loans to pay and much more stress on the job then ever before, so to each their own!!