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When did you go through school and where?

As long as you have it in writing, all is good. If by chance they try and pull a fast one...a contract will put a stop to that. It is a legal binding contract. Good deal and good luck to you!!!

I was curious and did some research, there is a website for MA's, http://www.aama-ntl.org/# and this is the duty description. So... what do Certified Medical Assistants actually do? Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs) have a great amount of variety in their jobs and are cross-trained to perform many administrative and clinical duties. Of course, duties vary from office to office depending on location, size and specialty. Administrative duties may include... Using computer applications Answering telephones Greeting patients Updating and filing patient medical records Coding and filling out insurance forms Scheduling appointments Arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services Handling correspondence, billing and bookkeeping Clinical duties vary by state and include... Taking medical histories Explaining treatment procedures to patients Preparing patients for examination Assisting the physician during the exam Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens Performing basic laboratory tests Instructing patients about medication and special diets Preparing and administering medications as directed by a physician Authorizing prescription refills as directed Drawing blood Taking electrocardiograms Removing sutures and changing dressings You must accomplish two things to become a CMA. First, graduate from an accredited medical assisting program. This program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Second, pass the AAMA CMA Certification Examination. This test is administered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).

Wow, are they licensed? What state do they use MA's in?

CNA - Certified Nursing Assistant LPN - Licensed Practical Nurse RN - Registered Nurse I have heard of Medical Assistant, and I believe it is the same as a CNA. Training will vary state to state. Also there is specialized training, such as Medication Nurse or IV Nurse, all require certifications, and again, it varies state to state. Safest bet to be sure, call the Nursing Board in your state.

You may want to consider agency nursing. Agencies pay pretty well, offer a variety of shifts and positions. As a military dependent you already have medical benefits so you can opt to take the additional pay instead of benefits (some agencies offer benefits, some do not). Military hospitals use agency nursing to augment staffing, so you may be able to work on the same military facility.

Any recruiter serious about his/her job will not laugh at you, instead they should provide you guidance. You are only 2 years away. They had split options that will allow you to attend basic training, go home after basic, and then return for IET. Your Mother is just trying to prepare you for realities; being in the military and being in a nuring program is extremely difficult, each presents unique problems, but if you want it bad enough, only one thing can stand in your way...you. There are a lot of classes and reading material that will prepare you for nursing school. At this point you have to be self-motivated to do and accomplish those, but in the long run it will pay off, and make the nuring program easier for you. You have a good plan, stick to it, but take some time and enjoy being young...you get one shot at it..I am sure you have it heard it before..enjoy it while you can. Does your school offer ROTC or Junior ROTC? Again, good luck and don't hestitate to contact a recruiter or to post other questions!!

tevans95b, kudos for such inspirations!! at 15-years of age, i do not think i had a clue on any kind of career. okay, let me give you a few ideas with the information that you have provided. you have potential and it is all up to you. even with your parents signature, you can't join the military until you are 17 years of age, so you have about 2 years to play with. that should give you plenty of time to complete h.s., and a nursing program (if it is a 2-year program). 1 - you go through the lpn course while still in high school and join the army after. when you enlist give your recruiter copies of the nursing program completion and lpn license. you would still have to go through 91w (16-weeks of training), but once you graduate 91w, you can be sent directly to a duty station because you will already have the requirements to be a m6. (licensed practical nurse) 2 - join rotc while in h.s., they will give you additional rank for the experience; most likely at least a private first class. this website gives you the pay rates as of jan 2004. http://www.dfas.mil/money/milpay/pay/2004paytable.pdf go through the lpn program, join the military, and all of what i mentioned in #1 applies but you start off with more money because you will have rank. the army is offering $50,000 for active duty soldiers (3-year enlistment), and $65,000 for school loan repayment (again a 3-yr enlistment). http://www.goarmy.com/benefits/education.jsp 3 - while on active duty uncle sam pays 100% tuition (you pay for the books), so you can still pursue a career as an rn or a pa, or anything that you apply yourself to become. the pa program that the military offers now has undergone some big changes, graduates of the 2-year program earn a master's degree.....how awesome is that?? you have the potential to be an lpn at the age of 17...the experience and opportunities that are available to you are mind-boggling. you know, you and your parents could go in and talk to a recruiter even know, and they will tell you what you need to do and how to do it. i hope this information is helpful to you!! good luck and keep us posted!!

Any break in service longer than 5 years, but you should be okay. If I read your reply right, you have about a one year break from the last break in service. So, your reserve unit is sending you to be a M6, when? Are you a 91W already? If not, that is a 16-week course and you would end up in any one of the 232nd Medical Battalion companies, A - F. Prior service live in a seperate barracks, but just as with M6 they train with the IET soldiers. During 91W there are a few more time consuming activities required of the prior service. Just come ready to train, put any distractors on back burners, you wouldn't believe how many fail out because of the excess emotional baggage.

Armygirl, You will be assigned to D Co, 187th Med Bn. Billeting is provided and you are permitted to bring your POV. D Co doesn't have Drill Sergeants for prior service, just cadre NCO"s. Cell phones and laptops are authorized, but not during school hours, too many abused the privilege. Class is from 0830 - 1720 and there is study hall on weekends; mandatory for low GPA's and personnel that have failed tests. The AMEDDC&S has a library that has 24 PC for use for research and/or checking email, again for use after duty hours and weekends. Currently, prior service are permitted to drive to school from the billeting area, there is designated parking for students. You show up in time for formations, you are permitted to go where you want for chow as long as you return for the after-lunch formation. Prior service wear pistol belts just like the IET's, but you are permitted to wear your beret versus the patrol cap. During class prior service and IET work together, after hours....no communication other than on-the-spot corrections. The Phase 1 is in the same general area with the 91W, Drill Sergeants are everywhere, and there is not a lot of slack cut for prior service. You come for the training, go through the same training as everyone else, and don't involved in anything that you shouldn't. Do what you need to do, act how you are supposed to act for the duration. Just come with the mind frame that you are just a private and everything will be uphill from there. I have been on both sides of the fence and my mind set was just that, I bit my tongue a lot, but I made it through. How long was your break in service? Depending on the length, you may not be what is considered a true prior service. The difference, company assignments and living arrangements...everyone here is treated like a private just some get more responsibilities according to thei rank. Hope this answers your questions, please don't hestitate to ask any others.

http://armynursecorps.amedd.army.mil/ http://www.branchorientation.com/nurse/home.html http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/ http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/obc/index.htm http://www.armymedicine.army.mil/default2.htm http://www-rotc.monroe.army.mil/nurse/Links.asp Nurse Corps: This corps provides the Army with nurses practicing in a variety of specialties, including obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, critical care, nurse anesthesia, neonatal, community health, psychiatric/mental health and perioperative nursing. This team of Army health care professionals practice high-tech health care in a variety of settings: from clinics and small hospitals, to field hospitals, to any of the Army medical facilities, including Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Army health care professionals have opportunities for continuing professional education, seminars, conferences and conventions, and could be involved with research and teaching. The Army also offers a variety of scholarships, internships and residency programs, as well as financial assistance and bonuses. Accession Bonus for Nurses: The Army offers nurses a $5,000 bonus for joining the Active Army.

Mamaa... I would suggest to you that you start writing a statement. You should accurately document all details of the accident. Medication errors are reportable, and depending on the finding can result in suspension and even revocation of a license. As soon as you get a chance read the rules governing your state, your responsibilities as well as the place you were employed. Know what they can do before they tell you, know your rights. Did anyone talk to the patient and were you present?

well, i can see that there is as much confusion by others as there is by the recruiters. 91c did not merge with 91w; 91c is now the asi (army skill identifier) m6. what really changed for us...a lot of the ol' 91c's were able finally get promoted, but other than that nothing. supposedly, now that we are all 91w's, the mos takes precedence over the asi. you'll get different feelings on the merge, the fact still remains that when you call da for assignments, the first thing they say is, "aren't you a m6?" 91w is a 16-week course, once you complete it you are cpr provider, an nremt, and a 91w; two certifications you can really use in the civilian sector or to moonlight in the military. if m6 is in your contract (again watch the recruiters, some are still under the misconception that 91w and m6 are the same), you will literally walk across the field to the phase 1 site of m6. incidentally, for all you old 91c's out there...the course now consists of 3 phases. so many m6's were completing the course but not getting their license that an extra month has been added during which the candidate goes through more nclex specific training and gets their license before hitting their next unit or returning to the reserve unit (we no longer take national guard either). m6 is a 52-week course with 8 weeks of spent at the only phase 1 site, ft. sam houston, texas. starting earlier this year the class iterations increased from 4 a year to 10 and soldiers no longer have a choice in the phase 2 site, all same-class graduates will go to one site. we still go to the field, set up depmeds (deployable hospital systems), and can be assigned to forward support battalions or to actual line units; it just depends on the demand. i personally know 5 m6's currently serving in iraq. incidentally, for a few years, california permitted military trained lpn's to challenge the rn board. for reasons i am unaware they discontinued that, but west virginia offers it also. the training that a military trained lpn receives exceeds that of our civilian counterparts, talk to some of them. we have delivered babies, started blood products, and pushed iv meds. the experience is unparalleled, and provides opportunities that should be considered. the average age of our students is about 20, but i can't even count the number of 17 and 18 year olds that have come through. can you imagine being an lpn at the age of 18? because we are the state of army, nremt now allows our 17 years to receive their nremt license, the nremt used to hold it until the soldiers 18th birthday. i am a 91w4hm6 - healthcare specialist (91w), sfc, instructor, licensed practical nurse. i have had a california rn license for about 4 years, and have about every certification that i could take time to go to. basic life support instructor trainer, nremt, phtls (pre-hospital trauma life support), nals (neonatal life support), acls (advance cardiac life support). i think i also saw a question in there asking why someone who is an rn would stay enlisted or come in enlisted versus being an officer. the answer is school loans, if a soldier with school loans comes in enlisted, uncle sam will pay off up to $60,000. in a class last cycle, i had an enlisted soldier who was a dvm. he came in for 4 or 6 years (can't recall which), uncle sam paid off all his school loans, he will get military and medical experience and leave the army debt free. later, after serving the time, if he wanted to stay in and transfer to the officer side, he could. there are great opportunities, but with it comes big demands. you can't go into nursing for the money, we have secretaries that are not required to save lives that make more than we do, you have to love working with people and the purpose for your skills. you gotta love it!