I found another way to get my foot in the Health care door

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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i found a college near me that offers a 9 month medical assistant training program.

it is mostly phlebotomy, which is what i am interest in the most about that course.

the training is for-

medical assistants, medical secretaries, laboratory assistants, phlebotomists, medical records professionals, and medical transcribers.

i think it is a wonderful way to get my foot in the door and to be able to interact with patients.

afterwards i can become certified.

the best part is i most likely qualify for a college grant of 13k.

it starts in the summer or fall. i have requested more information about the course and when i need to apply.

so based on the large household and lower household income i qualify for the grant money.

so exciting as this will, no doubt, give me more skills in phlebotomy and people skills prior to entering nursing school.

is there a way that i can be a cna and a phlebotomist?

because the cna course is in the spring and the other one is in the fall.

i would like to work and get payed while getting my pre-reqs done.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

1. Be sure that any courses you take qualify you for certification. Some schools mislead people about that.

2. Make sure that there is a good job market for the graduates of the program. A lot of people have the same ideas you have and schools take advantage of that -- and the fact that such programs are short and cheap to run. They recruit all those eager students and graduate too many people for the job market. New grads can't find jobs. Make sure that is not the case in your area.

3. Make sure that the school will provide you with the preceptorships (clinical experiences) that you will need. For some schools, the students have to find their own clinical practicum sites. You pay the school ... but the student have to find their own education experiences who are asked to teach you for free. Not a good situation to be in.

4. Don't invest in any schooling until you have solid answers to the issues above.

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Another thing to check is whether the employers in your area care whether you have the course or not. Sometimes schools offer it because students are willing to do it but employers don't differentiate between applicants who have this and those who have the necessary certifications after taking a class or two. I don't know how often. I do think it is the case around here even though there is a school offering such a program but things may be different in other regions... this may really be a great opportunity for you in your area.

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I'd caution you on going the medical assistant route if you are wanting to become an RN. I went through medical assistant training and will tell you a lot of people graduate from MA programs and can't find jobs. Secondly, you can't use any of your medical assistant education to apply towards and RN degree. You'd be better off looking to see if there are any LPN programs. Most LPN programs are a year or less and you can bridge over to an RN program with that. Just my thoughts.

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I have requested a information packet to be sent out.

They have

  • Medical Assistant Degree Program (A.O.S.)
  • Clinical Medical Assistant Certificate Program
  • Medical Office Assistant Certificate Program

It says that students who complete the course can take the certification test, both written and clinical, to get their certificate.

I am not sure if they give you clinical hrs or not. I have sent them an email regarding that.

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Oh, Okay.

The LPN program would make better sense.

Is the bridge program about 1 year?

I am still hoping to find a 3 month phlebotomy class somewhere.

So far that was all I found.

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Please do some research on this site about medical assisting and job prospects for medical assistants as well as threads about proprietary schools for medical assisting. Is this college a local public community college or one of the for profit schools? Not much sense in going into debt for education that will not transfer credits or be the basis for employment. Look at the ads at employment websites. How many of them do not state that experience is required? These are some of the things you should consider in order to make an informed decision.

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Yes, you can take the certification test after the similar program here. But you can also take it without having taken the program.

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How long the bridge program depends on the school. My LPN to RN bridge still requires the LPN's to complete and pass all the non-nursing classes (A&P I and II, Micro, English, College Algebra, Psychology I and II, Sociology, a humanities elective, Religion, Ethics, and an LPN to RN transition class) What we are granted and do not have to take are the first year of the nursing classes. Unless you have some college credits under your belt, depending on the school you are interested in, it will take more than likely take longer than a year.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I completed a medical assistant training program at a trade school nearly 12 years ago and was never able to find a MA job with my certificate. Since I had hoped that the training would result in at least one offer of employment, I consider the MA program to have been a big waste of my time, effort, and money.

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Specializes in NICU.

13 K is a lot for that type of schooling, even if you qualify for some or all of that in aid. There are hospitals that teach phlebotomy for free as long as you are willing to work for them afterwards. And at least in my area, that is the only source that they hire from. Check into that. A lot of MA's are trained on the job by physician's offices--that would be a much cheaper route, too. CNA's also can be certified by places of employment, too.

Volunteering at hospitals can also help you get your foot in the door--some volunteer jobs involve more patient interaction, which is good.

I would probably work on pre-reqs, assuming you ultimately want to end up in nursing. It probably seems pretty far away now, it did for me, but now that I'm old, lol, (experienced?) the time actually passed pretty quickly.

Good luck! We're pulling for you!

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Yes 13k is a lot.

After looking into it it doesn't sound right for me. Starting out or by it self.

The only skills I would like to obtain from that class is the Phlebotomy.

After researching it it doesn't sound worth it.

I did however find about 5-6 ads for CNA's wanted. Only 2 of them required 1 years experience.

I have 2 (and possibly 3) friends that are nurses and could give me a letter of recommendation for either the LPN or RN program. There is also a "free" CNA training program. It is longer than the others.Usually it is 6 weeks and this program is closer to 3 months. I think they are just trying to get free workers for 1 months extra or something.

I found nothing for a medical assistant. 4 LPN jobs and 7 RN jobs listed.

Checking into the medical area around me I realize that nurses are needed a lot in the capital district area.

So I don't quite know where I will go first. I could go LPN and then RN. Or CNA and to RN.

One thing for sure is the LPN or RN program is going to be a heck of a lot more than 13k but is likely money well spent.

Good thing for me is I qualify for at least 50% of it paid and the rest on a loan.

I will know more about how much money I am actually qualified to get when I talk to financial aid.

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