Once you have completed your CMA requirments, have you found that your credits from the MA courses you took transfer to an ADN program or BSN program ? I really hope so. My freind that is an MA, bless her heart (one of the sweetest people you will ever meet), wants to go to school for her RN. I work with an CMA , who told me she went to a 11 month program , became certified and when she went to apply at an ADN programe they told her that none of the credits would transfer. She said she left in tears. She said she felt like she had been robbed. That it even sent her into a depression for a while. I hope this isn't true. My friend worked so hard ,payed a good sum of money, but has already found that the pay isn't what they had told her. I guess, I want to be prepared to be there for her if she faces the same difficulties. I like the CMA I work with but, I have to tell you , I hope she did somthing wrong. I really don't want my freind to go through this.
Midcom, I agree with you. Thinking (in terms od disease) and critical thinking are way different than clinical skill. Both are skills,it seems that it's comparing apples to oranges. I would want the A & P in the LPN program. It truly is amazing how different schools are. Maybe that is why we sometmes have differences with co-workers or managements standards. Any thoughts?
I was a CMA and none of my credits transferred to the LPN program. I started from scratch. I went to a vo-tech for medical assisting. Sure wish I would have gone to nursing to begin with, but oh well "hindsight is 20/20.
I'm in a position where people ask my advice a lot about nursing education. If someone asks me, I always tell them to go LPN as opposed to MA. I know there are some great MA programs out there but at least with the LPN you can bridge it to an RN if you want to. I know so many people who felt they spent a lot of money on MA education and were not able to convert that to anything else. It should be fraud to sell an educational program as something that it isn't.
I recently talked with a couple of my teachers about our school's NCLEX pasing rate, which is pretty low. They mentioned that the former MA students tend to have a more difficult time passing the test than the ones who had all 4 terms of nursing. They have their MA skills down well but have a hard time with thinking like a nurse, critical thinking skills.
While there may have been something lacking in the MA program, I don't think not doing well on the NCLEX means being poorly prepared to be a nurse or that one doesn't have critical thinking skills. A person really has to learn the NCLEX-style questions and how to evaluate what the question is looking for, which demands experience with the questions, not just critical thinking skills and nursing knowledge.
Where I am, there is a 24 month associates for MA. NONE of the classes are able for transfer into an ADN program. I find this unbelieveable. I had experience with this when a cousin of mine wanted to go to MA school, unfortunately they only one around here is a 24 month $26,000 course. They told her that the credits would transfer, but they wouldnt. The sciences were too little amount of credits and the math wasnte right. Micro wasnt as in depth.
So, just check out the school. Dont just take their word for it that their credits are acceptable at the schools. Ask the schools themselves.
Good Luck
That's terrrible. To me that is fraud or at least deception with intent. I know everyone needs to do research on their own but, to lie to potential new students is just terrible. That's why I think these schools need to be looked at by the boards of nursing. Every one who was told the credits would transfer should get their money back and more for waisted time. ( 2 year programs and the other schools )
I've slowly taken the courses needed to complete this RN mission. And due to the time factor I had to repeat A & P along the way. Yuck. How is microbiology, any pointers?
Micro is boring in some ways, cool in others. Just try to learn what you can, pretty important stuff.
I'm in a position where people ask my advice a lot about nursing education. If someone asks me, I always tell them to go LPN as opposed to MA. I know there are some great MA programs out there but at least with the LPN you can bridge it to an RN if you want to. I know so many people who felt they spent a lot of money on MA education and were not able to convert that to anything else. It should be fraud to sell an educational program as something that it isn't.
Well said ! Here ......Here.....:yelclap::loveya::cheers::studyowl::thankya::bowingpur:beer:
Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.
Crux, wow what a price tag on that nasty school. Did they allow testing out of classes for RN, or anything of the like. You'd think education higher-ups would be way proud of their schools and prevent conditions like this.
The ADN program accepts CLEP credits, but only so many and for certain subjects. But not really any testing out other than that.
The MA program people were coming to the high school and promoting their program, which is fine, thats what Senior Year is all about. But the cost of the program (for which they offer a "convienient" payment program) and the nontransferability of the credits, made this a bad choice for my cousin who wants to continue her education further.
She went to go meet with the financial aid people at the school and they didnt want my uncle to go with her into the office. Shes 18 but he was the one that was going to be paying. They wanted him to wait outside while SHE signed papers. He told them no way, and left the school with his daughter in tow.. Shes now enrolled on the local CC for gen eds.
All of it, really depends on where you got your MA. If you got it at a regular college, it will probably reduce some of the classes. If you got it at a junior college or technical college, then there will most likely be an issue.
The best thing to do is call the school you want to go to, fax them your transcript, and have them given you a review of what they will and will not accept.
Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
What courses you are given credit for and which one's you are not, is entirely up to the college you apply to. Many four year colleges have transferable credit systems with several area community colleges. Most do not have them with private schools or vo-techs because they just are not equal to the formal education systems required of community colleges, colleges and universities. One should also be aware of the fact that most four year programs do not accept all your credits from another four year program out of the immediate area. I have more then twenty credits, in a graduate nursing program, of which only six would be accepted by the USF. My problem is the graduate program I was in, was situated in New York State.
You can CLEP some courses but the number is again limited by the program you are entering. I CLEP Fundamentals of Nursing, OB, Peds and General Med/Surg. The only course I was given credit for and didn't have to attend, was the Fundamentals. I had to repeat course work and clinicals that I had already done in my diploma program. Such is life.
Can the 2 year ma do as much as the junior coll. ma ? I know there is a cirtification but, can't both do that. If so are they on the same ground when it comes to doing a job. If they are the same I wounder why any one would pay for school for 2 years . The ma's in our ER do the same as CNA. The hospital payed for the CNA classes. In fact, most are pct's not even CNA's. This is getting more and more concerning to me that ma schools need to be on the 6 :00 news.
:loveya::cheers::studyowl::thankya::bowingpur:beer:
sharona97, BSN, RN
1,300 Posts
Midcom, I agree with you. Thinking (in terms od disease) and critical thinking are way different than clinical skill. Both are skills,it seems that it's comparing apples to oranges. I would want the A & P in the LPN program. It truly is amazing how different schools are. Maybe that is why we sometmes have differences with co-workers or managements standards. Any thoughts?