Medical Asst or RN

[apavella916]

Hello, I want to work with a gastroenterologist and perform routine colonoscopies, endoscopy and etc. I really dont know what major I should take up. I believe if I go for nursing I will be getting to much training that doesnt involve gastroenterology. I do have a business mgmt degree and thought about becoming an office manager for a gastroenterology practice if I became a med asst. Med asst don't make much money. Any opinion would be helpful. Thank You

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

As an MA or RN, you will not be performing colonoscopies or endoscopies. Those are procedures that are performed by the physician.

Nurses and MAs are going to be trained in a wide variety of different skills. Nursing education is especially holistic and there isn't going to be an MA course or LPN/RN program that will just teach you how to work in an office with a gastroenterologist.

Further, there is no guarantee that you'll get hired into a GI office as either an RN or an MA. In this job market, regardless of which career you choose to pursue, you'd be wise to take whatever job you can get.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Personally, as someone who completed a medical assistant program many years ago (and was subsequently unable to find a job as a MA), I'd choose nursing.

I lived nicely as an LPN, and now that I am an RN, my earnings have nearly doubled. MAs are not paid that much in many cities and states.

[Kaligirl02, ADN, BSN, MSN, LVN, RN, APRN, NP]

It depends. As someone who was a Medical assistant in a GI office for 5 years and was just hired on in a hospital as a nurse in the Endoscopy department, I might have some input on the subject. As soon as I finished school for Medical Assisting I was hired on at a very well known non-profit organization. I loved it there. I started off at 15.64 and by the time I left I was making 19/hr. My best friend still works there as an MA and makes 24.12/hr. But this is in Northern Ca.

I learned a lot, and my Doctors were very informative. I headed up the Hep C clinics, did Video Capsule Endoscopies, Endoscopies and all of that. I decided to become a nurse because I wanted MORE and because I want to eventually become an NP in Gastro. As a nurse working in the Endo Lab, I am very much looking forward to it. I will be crossed trained to be able to float to Cath Lab, Radio and go on the floor (ICU,Med-Surge and we are getting peds gastro md's as well) to assist with endos as well. I am very looking forward to it.

I will make the same amount as I did as an MA, but I am assuming it is because I reside in Texas now. I was told that since I have experience in a tech position that it made my application more attractive. So I guess it just depends. I love gastro and rep my gastro groupie status proudly.

(Forgive my typos, I am on my phone.)