I had a curious encounter at the doctor's office today. When I went in for my physical, a woman in scrubs came in ahead of the doc. She was wearing scrubs but no name tag. We hadn't met before, so I asked if she was a nurse. Yes, she replied.
I then presented her with paperwork outlining the shots I needed for school. As she looked over the paperwork, she volunteered that she was not a nurse but, in fact, a medical assistant. Oh, really? I replied. Where do you go to school for that? (I was genuinely curious.)
Well, she replied, she didn't go to school. She wasn't a "certified medical assistant," in her words, but "had a lot of experience." In fact, she'd been a CNA for 16 years, but this particular medical practice, as she explained it, "isn't like a hospital and doesn't care if you're ceritified." Hmm. Later on, the doctor sent her back to draw blood.
What would your reaction be? Obviously, she called herself a nurse, and she isn't one. (I wonder if she would have volunteered that info had she not seen my paperwork.) She called herself a medical assistant, then volunteered that she wasn't credentialed. I know nothing about MAs. Is that kosher? And what level of license does someone have to hold to be allowed to draw blood? (For what it's worth, this is the only person I've dealt with in many years at this doctor's office who wasn't wearing a name tag with credentials. Is there any kind of identification requirement?)
You didn't read my last post very carefully. I said I agree with you, but non-certified MAs are recognized, they just can't call themselves CMAs. There is no such thing as a non-licensed nurse.
Saying you are a MA does not make it so. They are not reconized in our state unless they have gone to school. I am done with this post. Off to better things. Have a good night.
In my state, you can become a medical assistant in a number of ways-you can get your associates degree from the community college, you can go to a vo-tech school, or you can get on the job training. In either circumstance you can become certified (yes-even if you do not go to an accredited school-if you have a certain amount of work experience--2yrs I think--you can sit for the test) or not. Either way, you are legally and ethically employable as a Medical Assistant and allowed to call yourself such.
Not so for a nurse-you either go to nursing school and pass the NCLEX....or you don't and thus are not a nurse in any respect.
That is why the 'CMA vs MA' issue is not the same.
Saying you are a MA does not make it so. They are not reconized in our state unless they have gone to school. I am done with this post. Off to better things. Have a good night.
Okay, then it your state it cannot be done.
You and I are beating the same horse from different sides and we're getting nowhere.
Saying you are a MA does not make it so. They are not reconized in our state unless they have gone to school. I am done with this post. Off to better things. Have a good night.
Are you from Arkansas? Here's a link which discusses that MA's do not need to be certified and that they don't need to have completed a specific formal training program. Look under Special Requirements.
I have another question on this subject. Who can call themselves an RN? Do you need an active license? What about a person who was a nurse for 20 years but let the license lapse. Can they call themselves a RN?
Are you from Arkansas? Here's a link which discusses that MA's do not need to be certified and that they don't need to have completed a specific formal training program. Look under Special Requirements.
In Arkansas you can not sit in on the CMA exam, but you can sit for the RMA with is not the same thing. Rma is under the med tech board and CMA is AAMA. If you attend an RMA program it is more geared toward lab. Thus the reason it is under the med tech board. Our clinic does not hire RMA's.
If they did not go to school to be a medical asst., then they are not a medical asst. Same, if they did not go to school to be a nurse, they are not a nurse.
THe problem is that you ARE able to work as or call yourself an MA even if you are not certified. You can't call yourself a CMA. I agree that the medical assisting field needs some basic, across the board, standard requirements.
THe problem is that you ARE able to work as or call yourself an MA even if you are not certified. You can't call yourself a CMA. I agree that the medical assisting field needs some basic, across the board, standard requirements.
In Arkansas you can not sit in on the CMA exam, but you can sit for the RMA with is not the same thing.
I wasn't discussing who can or cannot take the CMA exam. The point of my post is that non-certified MA's are an accepted entity in Arkansas, as they are in most states. You may need the cert to be hired in certain offices, but there is nothing that stops a person without a CMA/RMA from finding a medical assisting job.
THe problem is that you ARE able to work as or call yourself an MA even if you are not certified. You can't call yourself a CMA. I agree that the medical assisting field needs some basic, across the board, standard requirements.
i think this is blown way out of proportion. i myself was a "non certified ma" i was kinda offended when i read this post!!!:flamesonb I DID go to medical assistant school(graduated top in class) and worked in a couple of practices(both of which are associated with major hospitals)when i graduated we had to pass a board type test(just to graduate--it was not a certification)when i went for my 1st job--it WAS NOT required to be "certified" however i had an opportunity to get my certification--so i did. the requirements were an amount of venipuncture sticks and a test. i still work with girls who are not certified--but they can draw blood and handle pts better than those who are certified. for some offices it is not a requirement, and is merely a title for those who have it--it means nothing as far as quality pt care! as far as her misleading statements at first...well...thats another story! so be careful how you judge others---especially when you dont know the whole story:nono: . now 10 years later as an MA--i'm a RN nursing student and my experience although not all of it while i was "certified" has been beneficial!
dbowens02
47 Posts
Saying you are a MA does not make it so. They are not reconized in our state unless they have gone to school. I am done with this post. Off to better things. Have a good night.