A lunchmeat MA certification

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sonofva

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To all DO applicants, etc.:

If you guys are looking for MA certification, there is one you can do that is COMPLETELY online, even your clinicals and all that crap. My buddy just finished it. it is like 650$ if you sign up solo and 480$ if you go with a buddy...it is called St. Augustine Medical Assistant certification. funny part is, is that it is a nationally certified program so it should be good in all 50 states...

i figure if you got it like freshman or sophomore year you could put it to use for a good 3 years...its a good way to get your foot in the door for a clinical job at a Dr.'s office...and we all know how good that looks on the ol' application.

my friend got his done in like a weekend too, which is pretty rediculous. hope this helps y'all

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Wow, could have really used this while job searching a while back.
 
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Can you use financial aid for this? Just very curious.
 
That's kind of pricey.

I did an EMT/CNA certification over the summer and it cost me about $250 total, including licensing exams. Seems like a good alternative for those who don't have time to go to class though.
 
yeah. haha. i am for real. it is somewhat expensive i guess considering that you could do a free EMT through a fire dept. and such...but that would take like 6 months...but i mean its really the cost of what you would pay for like 1 credit at a university i guess...

and it is a good option for people who are trying to get it quick.
 
Is it anything like the pharmacy technician certification board exam? There's no class. It's just a test, lol.
 
That's kind of pricey.

I did an EMT/CNA certification over the summer and it cost me about $250 total, including licensing exams. Seems like a good alternative for those who don't have time to go to class though.

You're lucky. It's way more expensive here.
 
Or you can just apply to work at a dr's office. That's what I did.

I'm not certified. I just applied to many jobs over a couple of months, and I met a doctor who hires college grads wanting clinical experience for careers in the medical field. She trains all of her MAs and I am getting LOTS of clinical experience because she wants me to be prepared for medical school.

Not being certified means that the dr is very patient with me. She doesn't expect me to know how to do everything and I'm having to learn everything on the fly.

However, if you are certified, you are expected to know how to use the software, verify insurance, possibly draw blood, give injections, urine tests, etc. (depending where you would actually work). You risk being hired by a dr who does not have the patience to teach you everything you need to know, and working with other assistants who will be frustrated with the new employee who cannot keep up. Typical MA programs take about 2 years, so getting certified over the weekend is probably not the best idea.

Just look on Craigslist and respond to ads with your resume explaining your qualifications, and ALWAYS include a cover letter. That's what won my employer over. I had absolutely no experience, not even volunteering at a hospital. If I can get a job at a dr's office, you can too! :D

**Edit** To be fair, I had 4 years of customer service experience and 2 years working in a small business that involved administrative work. I meant that I had no experience in the medical field.
 
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Is it anything like the pharmacy technician certification board exam? There's no class. It's just a test, lol.

The community college here lets people sign up for the exam through them, and they will give you a study packet.

I don't know about Arkansas, but in Texas pharmacy techs do not need to be certified.
 
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The community college here lets people sign up for the exam through them, and they will give you a study packet.

I don't know about Arkansas, but in Texas pharmacy techs do not need to be certified.

Yeah, it's not needed here either, or at least that's what a couple of pharm techs I know tell me.
 
Is it anything like the pharmacy technician certification board exam? There's no class. It's just a test, lol.

I just had to pay the state 250 big ones to be certified as a tech, no exam or anything. The job trains you but the license only lasts a year. So get cheated for 250 big ones every year
 
VA doesn't require certification either for MA's. But a lot of places have malpractice insurance that requires all employees to be certified in at least MA. Just got to ask around...i know my employer's does. the certification also increases your scope of practice and allows you to independently administer meds and do certain procedures that would otherwise have to be supervised.

but, as txgrad says, it is possible to sweet talk a doc into letting you work without cert for sure.
 
I just had to pay the state 250 big ones to be certified as a tech, no exam or anything. The job trains you but the license only lasts a year. So get cheated for 250 big ones every year

I just figure the certification would be a bit of a resume booster for those looking for part-time work in pharmacies. By passing the test you demonstrate that you have some knowledge applicable to the field despite the fact that the PTCB exam is supposedly very easy.
 
I did some more research about certification for medical assistants. I think this school may be a scam. I remember researching how to sign up for the MA certification exam after on-the-job training for MA and I couldn't because I haven't attended an accredited school.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/adult-c...dical/st-augustine-medical-assistan-y4a8e.htm

http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/Education_Degree_Scams_Unaccreddited.php

How to become a CMA from the American Association of Medical Assistants: http://www.aama-ntl.org/becomeCMA/how.aspx

Find an accredited program here, includes distance learning: http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited-Program/

Or here. Type in "medical assisting": http://www.abhes.org/accredited_ins...isting&state=&credentials=&delivery=&x=44&y=6

$650 is a lot of money. Please do some research before enrolling.
 
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