Medical assistant position

[VM85]

Just wondering if this is appropriate. I am a LPN, just became licensed about a month and a half ago. I have been job searching since before I graduated and I still havent had any luck. I see so many ads for medical assisting, even ones that say new grads welcome. I have asked this before in another forum but I figure maybe Id give it another shot since its been a while and i didnt get any responses- Can a LPN apply for a MA position? I have heard that some places do interchange the two. It may be less money but less money is better than no money! Just wondering if this is unheard of or if it is common. I feel like I may have gone to school for the wrong thing- There are very little openings for LPN's around here, unless you can work per diem(which I cant i have a young child and need to pay my bills and have health issurance). I want to work in a doctors office setting, although I am open to every type of facility- just a preference of mine. Any tips about how to stand out when there are so many grads that are applying to the same places- Just getting very frustrated about the whole situation and hoping that this will open up a new avenue of opportunities. Thank you!

[MChris9603]

I can totally empathize with you!!! I was a stay at home mom for years, then went back to school to become an LVN. Everyone was saying nursing is a "recession proof" profession. Yeah, right. I began looking for a job in ernest 5 months ago. It felt like my resumes were just sucked into a big black hole over the internet. I finally got so desperate I started applying for MA jobs, CNA jobs, even medical record technician jobs. NOTHING. I was finally able to land a job just recently as an LVN in an assisted living home. I had to go through 2 group interviews and 2 panel interviews. I think my resume got picked for the interview just out of pure luck. But for the group interviews I think my positive attitude, professionalism (there were sooo many candidates that didn't dress to impress), determination to stand out (I had to use my sense of humor more than once during the interviews) eventually landed me the job. Unfortunately it is 65 miles from where I live. Good luck. Think positive. Something will come your way. You haven't been looking for very long yet.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

Of course you can. My only concern would be protecting your license. Make sure that if you get a job as an MA they are only making you do MA duties and not things under your license as a LVN.