Becoming a Medical Assistant (Advice Needed)

[angpan]

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I was wondering if anyone had experience working as a Medical Assistant (MA) and did so without having to take courses.

I have my B.S. so competency is not an issue, but the practice I am currently volunteering at would like to potentially get a few interns certified as MA's.

I saw in another post that some received "on-the-job" training. I was wondering if this required a program, any forms to be filled out, etc. and what sort of training was administered. Basically, how do I get this done.

Also, if anyone had experience becoming certified (taking the test) without having to take lengthy coursework since we have previous experience in our undergraduate career and some of the students have had previous clinical work.

We are trying to avoid having to take 6-9 months of science-related courses and any lengthy certification process, but would like to get trained as an MA and actively work with patients. Thanks for any help! I really appreciate it!

 

[JourneyAgent]

I was wondering if anyone had experience working as a Medical Assistant (MA) and did so without having to take courses.

I have my B.S. so competency is not an issue, but the practice I am currently volunteering at would like to potentially get a few interns certified as MA's.

I saw in another post that some received "on-the-job" training. I was wondering if this required a program, any forms to be filled out, etc. and what sort of training was administered. Basically, how do I get this done.

Also, if anyone had experience becoming certified (taking the test) without having to take lengthy coursework since we have previous experience in our undergraduate career and some of the students have had previous clinical work.

We are trying to avoid having to take 6-9 months of science-related courses and any lengthy certification process, but would like to get trained as an MA and actively work with patients. Thanks for any help! I really appreciate it!

This is highly localized business. Your best bet is to find out from the employers in your area who they will hire for what. Private practices may not be playing by those exact rules. But suffice to say medical legal business has made what could be a very common sense use of the best talent and work ethic into a cottage industry of certifying middling to low level high school grads to be professional vitals gatherers/shot dispensers/secretaries. Some of them paying crooked "schools" thousands for the privilege.

I went to 3.5 months of 3 nights a week 12 credit class to become an EMT-B and got hired as an ED technician. This was in dot.com San Francisco when people were busy getting paid for fluffball work to do nothing. In other words the replicability is almost not worth the advice other than to state it as such.

I also worked in peds as an MA with these amazing credentials. And became the genghis khan of the peninsula baby world. Wielding 3 in needles like a harbinger of pain itself.

 

[kayak30]

I received the "on the job training". I too volunteered there first for a good year before they hired me as a Medical Office Assistant. It was a private primary care practice in IL. It really depends on the clinic, but I would say it is not worth spending money on to take classes (well, depending on what responsibilities you will be asked to handle I guess). Oh, I should add that I did do a CPR for Healthcare providers and First Aid certification, the rest I learned quickly from them.

 

[angpan]

Thanks guys for the reply! In terms of the "on the job training," I guess what I'm wondering is if it is legal for me to start training to work with patients in the private office (e.g. triaging, taking blood pressure, assisting with OR procedures, etc.) without taking the months worth of MA coursework? If not, 1) what steps should I undergo to be able to train as an MA? 2) What amount of patient interaction can I be involved in in the meantime? The reason why I am inquiring if a side-path is available is because 3 of the interns and I are pre-medical students and we would like to avoid lengthy and costly classes if possible.

There are about 4 official MA organizations that offer a test and certification, but they all require coursework or this "on the job training." I don't want to start working as an MA if it is not legal for me to be working with the patients without this certification. The office we are working in are willing to train us and hire us as medical assistants, but are unsure of whether we need to be certified first or not.

After you found a place willing to train you, did you have to fulfill any other requirements beforehand such as an MA certification, emergency training, etc.? It seems that you didn't have to do the coursework so I am wondering if it would be legal for us to start doing most of what the MAs' are doing in the office?

 

[JourneyAgent]

Thanks guys for the reply! In terms of the "on the job training," I guess what I'm wondering is if it is legal for me to start training to work with patients in the private office (e.g. triaging, taking blood pressure, assisting with OR procedures, etc.) without taking the months worth of MA coursework? If not, 1) what steps should I undergo to be able to train as an MA? 2) What amount of patient interaction can I be involved in in the meantime? The reason why I am inquiring if a side-path is available is because 3 of the interns and I are pre-medical students and we would like to avoid lengthy and costly classes if possible.

There are about 4 official MA organizations that offer a test and certification, but they all require coursework or this "on the job training." I don't want to start working as an MA if it is not legal for me to be working with the patients without this certification. The office we are working in are willing to train us and hire us as medical assistants, but are unsure of whether we need to be certified first or not.

After you found a place willing to train you, did you have to fulfill any other requirements beforehand such as an MA certification, emergency training, etc.? It seems that you didn't have to do the coursework so I am wondering if it would be legal for us to start doing most of what the MAs' are doing in the office?

As far as I know there is no licensing body for MA's. What does this mean? It means you operate under the license of a physician employer. Now what is his/her liability? All of your actions or inactions. Does one need to be certified to take vital signs? Of course not, not to do it. But what dictates hiring practice and requirements is relative to where you are.

In some places I could be working as a primary responder on an EMS rig with my basic. But where I've been you're only qualified to cart the elderly from the hospital to the SNiFf and back without a paramedic license.

MA's have no license. So it's up to you're potential bosses.

Look. Unless you state exactly where you are, you're advice could be more misleading than useful. So it's either that and hope to get lucky or doing your own homework locally. I'm saying that because its the truth not because I'm trying to be rude.

And no, it's unlikely you'll be helping in the OR. You go to school for 2 years to be surg tech for that. What would you do there besides hold your d!ck. Do you know the tools? Could you pass one if they asked for it? I say this to point out that there's a supply side dynamic as well. Do they have access to someone they don't have to train from scratch? Like that.

 

[kayak30]

It depends on your state laws. Where do you live?

This might help perhaps:
http://www.aama-ntl.org/employers/laws.aspx

 

[angpan]

Thank you JourneyAgent and kayak30. Both of your answers have helped tremendously. That link was very much what I was looking for! I am in Maryland, btw.

 

[Jewels86]

As long as you're going to medical school, medical assistant is fine. You'll take vitals, H&P's but that's about it.

Please keep in mind, medical assistants are NOT nurses. No way, no how. Here in Texas, they CANNOT give meds, give advice, nothing. They are NOT licensed.

If you're cool with that, that's a great way to follow a doc and talk with patients.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

you may get more bang for your buck becoming a paramedic if that is the case.

 

[jitterbug778]

The laws about requiring certification to be an MA vary by state. If an MA doesn't need certification, they are essentially an extension of the physician they work under. I'm an MA and learned everything on-site. And I not only triage, I administer injections, draw blood, and even start IVs. Obviously from reading this thread, there is a lot of variation of the role of an MA in a medical setting. My advice is call up all the doctors you know and ask if they or any of their friends have positions that you can train on-site. I got the opportunity because I knew a doc that helped me get a job.