Thoughts on Medial Assistants?

[clocks123]

I have heard that some doctor's offices provide on the job training for medical assistant positions. Has anyone else done this and would like to comment on the experience? Would this be good clinical experience?

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[tiedyeddog]

I think this would depend on the state. In my state I believe you have to take a formal curriculum at a school. There might even be an online one you can take. I would google it and see if your state has an official body for MAs in your state.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

So its definitely on a site by site basis, somewhat regardless of your state. I received a CNA license and was then hired as a medical assistant by a clinic with 4 docs. They spent like 2 months training me, as the CNA basically did nothing for it. But if I was to try and go 2 miles over to the community hospital, I would have had to complete a 2 year medical assistant degree to do the same job. Its really awesome if you can find an office that is willing to do this; however, I would not bank on it. Even with the CNA cert. I applied to maybe 20 places and only got the 1 job, its for sure a rarity. I would say that your overall best bet to get clinical experience is the scribe route. If I could go back and had a clue on this stuff, scribe seems like the most direct way to bump elbows with docs and to start to get an idea of what healthcare looks like.

 

[NeuResurgens]

In my state it is an associates degree. These offices may have a different definition of what a medical assistant does.

 

[Planes2Doc]

I see commercials for medical assistant schools all the time during daytime television here in Chicago. So I'm guessing you need formal training in Illinois.

 

[meupatdoes]

I think if you are willing to put in the time an EMT-B certification would be a better route. I had phenomenal experiences in EMS. It provided me excellent clinical experiences and also allowed for me to teach new EMTs and gain leadership roles in EMS.

 

[MaybeDr]

I have heard that some doctor's offices provide on the job training for medical assistant positions. Has anyone else done this and would like to comment on the experience? Would this be good clinical experience?

I'm not really sure what everyone is talking about. Many practices offer on the job training. My work does. I had a really positive experience with it so far. This is in clinical research private practice so I feel that the rules are a little looser, believe it or not.

 

[Promethean]

Just because there is a school selling a course doesn't mean it is required.

I had a friend who was schnookered into paying 21k for a medical assistant training course. She couldn't get a job doing it. Meanwhile, I know other folks where were hired right off the street in the same state, and given on the job training for free. The physician who hired them says that she prefers to train people herself, since then she knows the quality of their education. A lot of the schools are basically mills for separating hopeful students from their wallets.

 

[clocks123]

I'm not really sure what everyone is talking about. Many practices offer on the job training. My work does. I had a really positive experience with it so far. This is in clinical research private practice so I feel that the rules are a little looser, believe it or not.

Just because there is a school selling a course doesn't mean it is required.

I had a friend who was schnookered into paying 21k for a medical assistant training course. She couldn't get a job doing it. Meanwhile, I know other folks where were hired right off the street in the same state, and given on the job training for free. The physician who hired them says that she prefers to train people herself, since then she knows the quality of their education. A lot of the schools are basically mills for separating hopeful students from their wallets.

I have an office in mind that I know for sure takes absolutely anyone, no matter what type of degree (or lack of degree) you have and they provide in house training for free. I was just wondering if this is a worthwhile experience, given a recent high school grad could essentially do this job?

 

[quickfeet]

I see commercials for medical assistant schools all the time during daytime television here in Chicago. So I'm guessing you need formal training in Illinois.

I didn't even realize medical assistants had to get a degree. Wow what a complete scam and waste of $. They can easily learn every thing they need on the job.

 

[Catalystik]

Medial assistants are the worst. I prefer lateral assistants.

I had the same thought.

 

[emraldragon]

I absolutely think its worthwhile. I got a CNA licence in my state which requires very little intelligence or skill but a lot of hard work (its WAY less responsibility than an MA in this state). I ended up talking extensively about it in a couple of my interviews. Upon reflection, the two interviews where I discussed it the most and what I had learned about caring for people as a CNA were my two acceptances. It is what you make of it, and your duties will probably differ from my own, especially in a physician office. But just because a job can be done by a HS grad doesn't mean that you won't be able to get something incredibly valuable from it as well.

I have an office in mind that I know for sure takes absolutely anyone, no matter what type of degree (or lack of degree) you have and they provide in house training for free. I was just wondering if this is a worthwhile experience, given a recent high school grad could essentially do this job?

 

[Promethean]

Medial assistants are the worst. I prefer lateral assistants.

And it took 11 posts in. Thank you. I came in with every intention of making that joke, but got sidetracked by the on-topic discussion. How silly of me! =)

 

[Promethean]

I absolutely think its worthwhile. I got a CNA licence in my state which requires very little intelligence or skill but a lot of hard work (its WAY less responsibility than an MA in this state). I ended up talking extensively about it in a couple of my interviews. Upon reflection, the two interviews where I discussed it the most and what I had learned about caring for people as a CNA were my two acceptances. It is what you make of it, and your duties will probably differ from my own, especially in a physician office. But just because a job can be done by a HS grad doesn't mean that you won't be able to get something incredibly valuable from it as well.

Full agreement. You don't need to limit yourself to patient contact experiences which require a college education. You are applying for one of those. You need patient contact experiences that give you a sense of the clinical care setting. The view from an entry level position is an important one. You should know what the dirty manual labor of health care is like going in. You won't have to do as much of it as a physician, but it never goes away.

I don't think that my background as a nurse is going to help me with the academics in medical school. The level of detail will quickly overwhelm what I've already learned. But knowing how to knock on a door and go into an unknown situation, to greet people that I've never met before who are tired, hurting, and scared, and to get them to quickly put their faith in my ability to help them? That is going to give me a little advantage when I first step onto the wards. A medical assistant has the opportunity to build those social skills and to learn to manage themselves around patients. It is the kind of opportunity that is what you make of it.

 

[clocks123]

Medial assistants are the worst. I prefer lateral assistants.

I set myself up for that one didn't I
I thought it said medical all along until you mentioned it haha. It shows how the brain doesn't actually look at every letter in a word.