CMAtoRN

Congratulations!!! Happy for you:yeah:

Hello! Good to hear from you! I am hoping to do the same thing! I am just beginning prerequisites though so I am sure I have a long way to go til entering the Nursing Program!

Great! I am starting prerequisites to get into the RN program. So I will probably be working full time soon and in school. How exciting lol I original actually wanted to be a RN but at the time MA was there and I chose to get my foot in the door with it. I love it though.:)

I am looking for a job too CTH3989! I just passed the pre screening test for Sutter Health so I am waiting for an interview now:)

Renewing it is pretty much the same thing ...except the hands on part might be a little shorter depending where you go. It costs the same too..as far as I know.But if you are planning on working at a hospital be careful because some of them don't accept online courses. I just renewed mine and the hospital I am going to be working for didn't accept any online courses for the BLS even if it is a renewal..

Good luck!

Yeah I'm trying to move back to the bay ..Sac sucks! lol

Oh ok. Yeah I used to live in Vallejo.

Yes!!!!!! I feel you. I would give anything to get into Nursing School! It's my child hood dream and it pumps through my veins. I would like to wish you good luck! And I am sure your time is coming! Good Luck!

Hello! Welcome and Good Luck!!

Thank you for commenting and Good Luck!!! I can't wait til I get done with prerequisites! Whew! lol

First Hello!:) What were you classes like? Well I went to a vocational school so I only had one class, but we had different modules. They were great! It really depends on your instructor and how they have the class organized. My instructor was a flight nurse and a NP in Oncology and Hematology, so she was wonderful and pushed us. It also depends on how you adapt to the tasks of a medical assistant. I did exceptional well, I was even given the task of being a class manager to the other students:) What is the average pay? I would say it depends on a lot of things. Realistically hospitals get pay the most. With clinics depending on the clinic and state you can start of minimum wage. But in my area California most of the MAs I know start off atleast at 14-18 dollars an hour. Hospitals pay more than clinics of course. But I would suggest you google the average salary in your area for medical assistant. A typical day for me is coming in to work early making sure all of the charts are up for the patients who are coming in for the day. Then I assist the Physician if he needs me for any procedures. I also room the patients, check them in and out, take their vitals, make sure they are in the right position and that the room is prepped correctly for any exams. I also administer injections, obtain blood samples, perform urinalysis, and do some administrative work as well. It really depends some days I'm doing only one thing in one department and sometimes I'm helping with everything! lol so it depends. And no this wasn't too much:)

Nice!!! I can't wait for the day I get accepted to Nursing School!!! Good Luck!!! :yelclap:

Hello, I am a CMA and I live in Northern California. As far as I know, no MAs are not being phased out..if anything they are more in demand, that is why all the schools are making sure they have a MA program for people to join. I have noticed a lot of schools that did not teach Medical Assisting before now do. I too, have noticed that a lot of places want 1-2 years experience. I just say it depends on your area. For example, up here in San Francisco there is a ton of jobs for MAs so you will eventually find something, and in San Francisco the minimum wage just got changed to 10 dollars and some change so they start MAs at atleast 15 and up an hour. The only reason why I personally want to go into Nursing is because I have always wanted to be a Nurse. It is my dream, I get all warm and fuzzy inside talking about it lol But yeah I took MA just to get my feet wet. But Good Luck to you! I'm pretty sure you will do fine in whatever you do!

Sounds good! I wish you the best, if there's anything you want to ask me about being a MA or any questions you have I will try to answer it to the best of my ability. Good Luck in the MA program!

Wow Congrats!!! Happy for you! Good Luck!

Thanks for joining! Yeah I know what your talking about..I have been a MA for 20 years but I have wanted to be a nurse long before a MA ...it's not challenging enough for me...So I am also taking my prerequisites for nursing. Good Luck and nice to hear from you!

Where in the east bay? I used to live in Oakland. You in that area?

I did my MA at Bost Reed college through Treasure Island Job Corps. How challenging it is really depends on your instructor..when I was on externship I seen a lot of students who were not on top of their game. My teacher who I love so very much like another mother. She is a MA,RN, and NP. She was a flight nurse in the military so she was very challenging. She really pushed me because she knew I was on top of my game already so she pushed me a lot harder. For example, before I left to externship she put us through drills...like she would have us prep, palpate the vein and obtain a blood sample all under 5 mins. It was definitely a blessing being her student because she is known around the Bay for teaching her students and we are the best of the best. And that's what I mean by it depends who is your teacher. If your teacher is one of those people who just wants you to pass, then there will be no challenge, but if they are like my teacher and actually want you to be taught to be on top of your game as a MA then yes it will be challenging. It was funny...she was so strict everytime someone would come in our classroom they said the intensity was so thick you could cut it with a knife, because everyone was always on pins and needles..lol But I'm glad I made it through..so here I am today Nationally Certified Medical Assistant..hahaha that was a brief recap..oh yeah and we wore ALL WHITE scrubs lol which is tricky but we had to earn them as well so see what I mean ...it was definitely challenging..

Yea same here in California. We can do a lot as well, everything you stated plus even x-rays..and removing sutures. Depends where you we work we are not as limited as most states..

I'm not saying RMAs are licensed but isn't a "Registered" Nurse licensed? If not that's pretty crazy...lol

We don't have a license because we work under the Physician's license..that is another reason why we are able to do so much...We have to take an exam just like everyone else....clinical hours....and if we want to get "certified" or "registered" we take an exam...just like everybody else...I live in California and the only position that people are saying have more MAs than them, are LPNs or LVNs....I don't know I'm kind of irritated with the whole thing with everyone comparing what we do to nurses..I'm going for my RN but I am a Nationally Certified Medical Assistant. I don't compare my knowledge to that of a nurse, but I do know what I know. And if someone wants to hire me, I'm not going to say" No absolutely not, doesnt the LVN do that?!" I feel bad, but it's not my fault, I just started finding out this was going on.I have read plenty of people saying...oh it's cheap labor...maybe so but who the hell cares..I love the medical field and I decided to take Medical Assisting and I love it. I studied my butt off for my National Exam and I passed. BTW good luck to everyone on this thread no matter what your pursuing:)

I am not sure about this but I thought that a Registered Medical Assistant was only through the state applied. And a Certified Medical Assistant is a National exam. I am a Certified Medical Assistant and I am Nationally Certified and can go anywhere outside of my state and still be Certified.

Yes, I am a Nationally Certified Medical Assistant. I was not looking for a job for awhile due to me being pregnant back to back...lol which was unplanned..but am still in college. As far as jobs go YES, especially in the California they want you to atleast have 2-3 years experience in the field. I would say probably about 90% of employers want this. I know because I have been looking for jobs lately. I have applied everywhere and just now got one email back and I have an interview Thursday. BUT in San Fran I am sure someone will hire you. Some places out there just require completion of the MA program. I was looking for jobs that way because I was thinking of moving and I seen a need for 15 MAs in one hospital..So yeah...San Fran is good for you as a MA. As far as getting certified in Phlebotomy , some employers want that as well. Depends...very few do..I know one of my classmates from my MA class works in a Diagnostic testing clinic and all she does is draw blood but she is only trained as a MA. Blood draws are part of our training though and everyone knows this so most of the time they just want you to have experience. It also depends on the job you apply for. I would say Phlebotomy Cert would look good on the resume and if I were you I would get Certified in Medical Assisting. Doesn't hurt to get it. 20% of the cert test is on Phlebotomy so that's what I was a little confused about with the certs being separate. I studied my butt of for my cert test! lol and a lot of it was EKGs and Phlebotomy and procedures....protocols...but yeah if you want to ask me anything feel free. You can message me if you want to.:)

lol that's crazy but true. I noticed when I worked at a clinic a lot of the patients thought I was a Nurse and I had to let them know ,"No, but one day I will be" lol