What to go to school for? (Gastroenterology)

[anthony916]

Hello I want to work with the GI and perform colonoscopy, and other procedures with the digestive system. Should I go to school for medical assistant, lpn, or rn. Some of my friends say go straight to for RN. But others say do medical assistant because I do have a business mgmt degree where maybe I can tie in. I live in New York City and a lot of colleges are giving me run arounds to get into the clinical parts of nursing school. Also some nurses told me medical assistant is a waste of time. What should I do??

[THELIVINGWORST, ASN, RN]

Well firstly, the only way you're performing a colonoscopy is if you're a doctor. Second, get your RN if you only want to assist or be involved in that field. A medical assistant works in a practice with patients under the scope and supervision of a Doctor.

Also, you cannot just go straight to clinicals in nursing school. You have to do your prerequisite courses first, then be admitted after consideration of your application and hundreds of other students.

[nlynrob]

A medical assistant won't have anything to do with procedures like a colonoscopy. You could work a GI physicians office where those tests may be ordered but they'd be sent to the hospital to have them done. As a MA you'd room patients, take history's, write HPI's.

A business management degree doesn't have anything to do with being an MA; at that point just apply to be a GI office manager- you'd make more money and it's actually suited to your degree. Having your RN with a business degree can help get you into management positions. Plus if you already have a college degree getting certified as an MA or LPN is pointless, you can just apply to second degree RN programs.

Sounds like you need to do more research on the differences between the three careers you mentioned.