Andi33

Thanks for the tip about the website! I have suffered with vertigo most of my adult life and though I haven't been diagnosed with BPV, I'm sure that's my problem. I Have spent many nights (or days) in bed, unable to move my head from one side to the other because the spinning will start again. I'll try this treatment during my next bout. Have you had this while driving? I have and it's scary as hell! Fortunately though, I'm usually safe at home when it comes on! :)

I think you may want to do some research on this topic and find out what CMA's do. Do you know what they do? I'm sure if you do a search of this website, you might become better informed. :)

I think it depends on the doctor. I worked for an orthopedic surgeon (who was like a big kid!), and he was always open to what I had to say whether it was about a diagnosis, treatment plan, or any concerns that I brought to his attention that the patient had. He was very receptive to my ideas and opinions, which I greatly appreciated. He always listened to what I had to say as if it really mattered to him, and if I was way off, he would just tell me. He was great to work for! You need to test the waters to see how he reacts, I'm sure he'll let you know!

Sorry, I had to re-word that! I didn't mean to offend you, and I was confusing your post with some above. I know that CMA's don't have a very good rep (some of the schools are scary!), but there are some good ones out there, especially those in the associates degree program. I'm actually supposed to start the LPN program in the fall, but am having second thoughts simply because I want to work in a clinic instead of a hospital, and already have clinic experience. CMA and LPN are very different jobs with totally different training. It all depends on where you want to work... :)

Please see my edited post...

I think some of the above posters might be confusing Certified Medical Assistant with Certified Med. Aid. There are quite a few misconceptions about CMA's. CMA's (medical assistants) do not work in a hospital setting, but in a clinical setting. The pharm course we take is the same one the LPN's take, so it is as in-depth. We work directly under the supervision of the physician. Yes, we are different than LPN's in that we are trained specifically for a clinical setting, where as LPN's usually work in LTC. We have the same pre-req background, and work independently from LPN's in the clinical setting. Our clinical duties include phlebotomy, injections, lab tests, ECG's, wound care, suture removal and assisting with minor office surgeries. We are also trained in front office skills, so there is the advantage of being cross-trained, which I think, makes us more valuable.The pay, however, is less than what an LPN would make, but this may depend on where you live. More and more clinics are hiring CMA's (not that they are phasing out LPN's), but they can pay CMA's less. It is one of the fastest growing professions according to the Department of Labor website, so you may get more info from there. Good luck with whatever you decide! :)

I hear you! Medical terminology can be a tough course requiring lots of memorization. As you go through each chapter, you will get better at it! I studied everynight after work and kept going over all the terms. You might want to make some flash cards with the root words and what they mean. This class will teach you so much, though not many posters here agree. In some schools it is not a requirement. It was at my school and even though I thought I knew alot of the terms, I was suprised how many there are that I didn't know. But if you are not familiar with medical terms, this will lay the foundation for you. Hang in there! You'll make it! :)

Hi Pricklypear! It was me who you had that conversation with and I think most of the previous posters are correct in their rankings. Although MA's aren't licensed, we take the same pharmacology course as the nursing students and can pass meds (but only under the supervision of the physician). We can also be taught to place I.V.'s, again under the supervision of the physicians. Most MA's work directly under the M.D. (or PA/NP), and in clinic settings, at least what I'm familiar with, nurses and MA's usually work independently of each other. I think that physicians may also teach MA's specific duties (I worked for an orthopedic surgeon who taught me how to cast his pts for all of the different types of fx's), depending on the specialty. Again, anything the MA does is under the direction of the pysician and under his or her license. :)

Pricklypear-Yes, we actually have alot of schooling for our degree, but as for the pay scale being lower for MA's I think is because of the different and more extensive training that nurses do have. Most nurses work in hospitals and have alot more responsibility than MA's have. Like pharmacology...I had to take the same course as did the nursing students which also covered the nursing process in content. I'm glad that I know the material, but I seriously doubt that I will deal with the extensive use of meds in a clinical setting as nurses would in a hospital setting. Nurses have been trained in critical thinking, and to watch for adverse reactions and contraindications. That's pretty involved in that respect and I think that a nurses level of training with meds continues well past the education that I recieved as an MA. But, I do know enough about the subject to watch for any interactions and allergies that the pt has and have always questioned the physician if I had any doubts about a med that was being prescribed. There are questionable schools out there who offer strickly on-line or accelerated programs and are not accredited like the CC I attend. What about clinicals! I think that's why many MA's haven't had a quality education and sadly, some are hired off the street and trained on the job. This is happening to often, and I think that MA's should at least be certified to work in a clinic. Some states are considering licensing for MA's which would definitley weed-out the untrained and protect the patient. :)

I agree with this. I think we all have a responsiblity to our pts to let them know our name, title, and what we are there for. We are all players on the same team, but with different duties! :)

Thanks for the nice reply pricklypear. I appreciate that! I know there are alot of MA's out there who don't hesitate to use the "nurse" title. They seem to think that they can get away with it without having gone to nursing school, and this gives the rest of the MA's who DO know their scope of practice a bad name. There are actually people out there who WANT to be an MA, myself included! At this point in my life, I prefer to work in a clinical setting because I like the duties that I have. I love being able to work directly with the doctor (I've learned so much), and the doctor will use his discretion as to what I am able to do. I would never perform any duty that I did not feel comfortable with. Yes, there is an AA degree available for MA's. Some of the courses I've taken include Pharm, Pathology, A&P, Med Term, Law and Ethics, Psych, Abnormal Psych, medical transcription, coding and billing, plus our own clinicals. After graduating, we may take our state exam to become certified. We are required to obtain CEU's and must recertify every 5 years. Our scope of practice includes setting up pt's, taking vitals, phlebotomy, injections (no IV), assisting the physician with minor office surgery, sterilizing surgical packs, ECG's, suture and staple removal, wound care, making patient appointments and referrals, scheduling procedures and surgery's, and most anything that has to do with the front office. We are completly trained to work front office and back, so we can basically "do it all". Unfortunatly, I think this is one of the reasons that MA's are being hired in more and more clinics, and I know there are some physicians who do cross the line and allow MA's to perform duties not in their scope of practice. Maybe this is why some MA's think of themselves as "nurses". Where I live, positions for clinics are advertised for CMA, LPN, or RN, which are called "clinical assistants", and all are paid the same (usually what an MA would make). I don't think that this is fair, but like I said before, it all comes down to money. I hope this gives you all some insight as to what an MA does (or is supposed to do)! :)

I have worked in an office as a clinical MA. I am finishing up a two-year program in medical assisting, and I take offense to some of these posts. First of all, there is a huge misconception concerning MA's and the work that they do. We are specifically trained to work under the supervision of a physician. I have NEVER called myself a nurse and am tired of being grouped with some who do. I introduce myself to patients by stating my name and that I am a MA. I have also corrected front office personel to please stop referring to me as a nurse. What this all comes down to is need a to understand the roles that each of us play in the field of medicine. I'm sorry that more and more offices are hiring MA's instead of nurses, and I think that it all comes down to saving money. We ALL work hard for the titles that we earn and have to realize that there are people in all professions who claim to be who they are not. I respect the work that nurses do, and will be starting nursing school in the fall to broaden and enhance the education and skills that I already have. Please remember that not all MA"s act as if they are nurses! We are taught totally different skills and work within the scope of our practice.

I just finished my MA program and we are trained to work specifically in clinical settings. We do vitals, setup pts., assist Doc's with minor sx procedures, phlebotomy, injections, lab tests, EKG's and are also trained for front office. I don't think you would like the cut in pay that you would be taking though, but it wouldn't hurt to look around and see what positions for LPN's in clinics are out there. Seems to depend on what state and area you live in. :)

Sorry Blackcat-I would definitely take the computer course. I have worked in clinics and they almost always have full-time billers and coders either on the premisis, or at the hospital they are affiliated with. If it's a small clinic, usually the office manager will do the billing. If you don't know alot about computers, a Intro to Computers course covers the basics, plus word processing, spreadsheets, etc...Most everything is done today on computers, like appointment schedules and patient medical records.

Are you already an LPN? If not, when you do go to nursing school you will learn clinical skills as opposed to clerical. CMA's (certified medical assistants) learn both administrative and clinical (coding, billing, appointments, management, phlebotomy, injections, lab tests, etc). I'm sure that if you were hired as an LPN in a clinic setting, you would be taught computer skills for whatever computer program the office used. Taking the classes you mentioned aren't required for an LPN, but it would enhance your nursing education. Hope this helps.