SOOOOO, I ALWAYS wanted to be in the medical field. After my daughter was born, I pretty much BLINDLY, enrolled in an MA program... I went to classes for 11 months... I was told the WHOLE thing INCLUDING externship was 10 months... that was the first lie... NOW, I realize how tough it is to find work & I am ABSOLOUTLY PETRIFIED!!! One of the girls who finished her classes with me finished her externship before me & it took her 3 weeks to get a job. NO ONE wanted to hire her. She got lucky, I think.
I'm doing my externship now. I went to do the back office today after doing front office for 2 weeks. I feel SOOOO unprepared.... We drew TONS of blood in school, tons of urinalysis & BP. We NEVER did a history, NEVER checked respiration rates or pulse. I felt pretty stupid today when they asked me to go & triage patients....

I'm hurt & scared & ... & GOD, I just wish I wasn't lied to the way I was. I know realize that this was somewhat of a mistake. I should have looked into this more than I did... I should have found this site before I signed up for that school. I'm supposed to take my exam in October & I don't even know what to study! ARRRGGGGHHHH
Just venting Thanks for listening!

I think I made a big mistake going to CMA school....

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? yes

You should be scared, triage is for RNs; unless you are just getting the information to give to the doc.

Your in your externship to learn, don't think you are going to go and know everything; thats why it is called learning. I have taught several people that have been doing externships though my old job. I would stand in the room with them the first few times so they did not feel so scared; none of them wanted to do it alone right away; but they eventually warmed up and were putting patients back by themselves by the end of the semester.

See, I think thats part of it... NO ONE WAS THERE!! They handed me the chart & to me to call them in... NO HELP. I WAS just getting the info for the dr, but, still.... Like I said. In my schol, we NEVER took pulse & respiration rates. I had NO practice.
& now, after reading this forum so much & seeing how no one can find jobs I'm ABSOLOUTLY SCARED TO DEATH!! I owe SOOOO much money & now feel like I just got myself into a hole I'll never dig out of!

I went to the library & got some CMA practice tests... OMG! I don't know half of that stuff! Is the CMA test hard? I never got ANYTHING wrong on a test at school but maybe he wasn't teaching us what we needed to know.....

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? yes

I did not think it was hard, but I went to a college to get my MA education. Can you say somthing to your teacher abou the lack of support at your externship? Or even say somthing yourself like, "I am just learning, I need guidence and I am not here to work for free, I am hear to LEARN"

Or how about saying what the school is by name so others can avoid it. What kind of a medical assistant program never teaches VITALS?!

From what I was told,the CMA test is a little harder than the RMA one,which isn't too bad in itself. But unfortunately being certified is no guarantee in getting a job.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RMA

Are You Working? Nope

First off, Thanks for responding to me... I have felt alone in my misery for a few days...


I went to NORTHWEST HEALTH CAREERS in Las Vegas.

Listen, I am not trying to make myself "sound good" or anything, really. I KNOW I am a smart girl. I have never had trouble at much of anything so long as I knew what I was doing... I'm just finding myself in a very akward position, you know??? Tomorrow I go back to my externship &, I ASSURE you, I will have about 100 questions & ASK to "shadow" someone for a while. I think part of the problem is is that I am working in an Urgent Care. There really is NO down time for me to ask very much of anything....
I have had a day or two to think about it & I am just hoping that if I continue to TRY & will get it.


& its not that we didn't LEARN vitals.. I mean, I KNOW what a normal pulse & respiration rate SHOULD be, I just never got any practice. I feel like I was thrown out to the wolves... Does that make sense to anyone???

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? yes

Sister is looking at going to the same program you did. May I ask why you went to this school vs the others in your area?

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RN

Are You Still In School? no

Are You Working? no

I chose NWHC for several reasons....

Its closer to my home being the first reason... I have heard many negative things about other schools in my area. I worked during the day & it being so close to my home allowed me time to get prepared to get there.

ANOTHER BIG reason... Its the only school that I researched & I researched MOST of them... Only school that was taught by a retired doctor.... He was a GREAT teacher. I met him before I registered & he won me over.

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? yes