Why oh why did I??!!

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Pay $15,000 for a year long medical assisting training program when I could have paid $150 for an 8 week long CNA course. Someone spin this in a positive for me please.

a friend of mine is in a year long medical assistant program costing about $14,000!!! her plan is to finish and move on to an RN program....now we have a community college which has an excellent RN program for about 1/2 the tuition of her ma program...!!! i tried to talk her out of it, but her heart was set on the program...i think the program fed her a bunch of bs...BUT she needed to take baby steps in order to get her confidence that she can attend school while raising a family.....she is incredibly happy and her confidence has soared!! so quite possibly this was the way for her to go..."testing the waters" so to speak....im proud of her and support her decision to continue to an RN program....we all take different steps to reach our goals..and thats OKAY!! dont beat yourself up....we live and learn!!

on the same token, i could say i wasted my time and money getting a BA in sociology!!! buts its done and hopefully that degree will serve me well in my new profession

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The stna is a thing is where the hospital or nursing home will teach you how to be a nursing asst and may help pay for the state test. One thing you should remember is a medical assisant is a lot different than a cna and there are things a ma can do that a cna can't like draw blood and such.

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Thanks! I will try to get a job as an MA, start taking my nursing pre-reqs and possible look into CNA. I am glad that this MA training program exposed me to the field because I had never thought about becoming a nurse before it. I imagine that it would make me feel more confident than going straight to nursing school.

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Specializes in TCU.

My niece did the same thing as you. She went to school and became an MA, now she is in school to become and LPN (she graduates in May 2010), and then she is bridging LPN to RN.

How ever you do it is fine, don't beat yourself up over it! It's all a learning experience and will make you a better RN in the long run!

Good luck to you and keep on keeping on!

Cheers! :)

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I too wasted my money as an MA and I got no choice but to see it this way. If I ever get to the nursing program, I'm going to b e more confident doing injections, starting an iv, or doing an EKG.

At this point we can only see the positive.

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Specializes in Mostly geri :).

Look at it this way, you did get a whole lot of schooling because of a financial booboo. Lots of people make mistakes, loan money to friends they'll never see again, even get robbed, fall for internet scams. I know it's frustrating to lose money but at least you gained some confidence from it. Best of luck.

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Yay this thread definitely helped me to see the good in my situation! It's also nice to know I wasn't the only one lol.

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You are not comparing Apples to Apples here. You will be more educated as a MA. You will also have a wide variety of experience. The price you paid is typical what it costs in my state. Education is never a waste.

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Education is never a waste.

I agreed too!!:)

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I paid $1,000 for the CNA class. Hope that makes you feel better.

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My niece did the same thing. She hasn't finished the MA program and owes $18K in student loans. The school fed her a dream not reality. In the Washington, DC Metro she cannot even make it on what an MA makes and has to somehow repay all that debt as a single mother of two. It is an awful lesson to learn... But at least you will be an MA.

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I was in school taking my nursing prereqs when I inquired about the MA program at back the Bryman Collge. The people there just said that I would be in school a long time before I was able top get a job as a nurse.

Stupid me at 18 with no job. I took the MA program at 6K. I got my certificate and I couldn't pay rent, bills , food and student loans with my $7/hr job.

I left the job for a $12/hr job as a special edu aide. I paid all the money and I'm now back trying to retake my nursing prereqs because they're too old.

I make the mistake, but could at least say that I won't be nevous doing injections, or starting an iv as I was when I first learned to draw blood as an MA.

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