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Re: whats strated such a low pay trend?

It is not illegal to pay minimum wage, so there is no point in contacting anyone about it. As long as MAs are willing to take jobs for minimum wage doctors will pay it. This field is saturated.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RN-BSN, PHN, CCMA-C

Re: whats strated such a low pay trend?

Yes the field is growing, but so are most jobs in healthcare. I am not putting anyone down, but how can a cna who goes through a short period of training make $14hr and I have to hope to make $10? I have been at my college for 6 semesters, since I graduated highschool. I switched to medical assisting and am about to go into my last semester. I will have an associates degree and I am on the honor society and that will probably mean nothing? Another thing that I find wrong is that at my college they have a program where you get extra academic/financial help, and all these extra perks...for having scored lower on the entrance exam, but those in the honor society get nothing?

Re: whats strated such a low pay trend?

heartsopenwide
It is not illegal to pay minimum wage, so there is no point in contacting anyone about it. As long as MAs are willing to take jobs for minimum wage doctors will pay it. This field is saturated.


oh no i understand that its legal to pay it but i have to wonder why an office would pay somneone so little, what else are they skimming on? I go from personal experience because i was a patient at a dr office that paid his MAs minimum wage his excuse was that he was a small business and couldnt afford more. i think thats a cope out

Re: whats started such a low pay trend?

Renee
heartsopenwide
It is not illegal to pay minimum wage, so there is no point in contacting anyone about it. As long as MAs are willing to take jobs for minimum wage doctors will pay it. This field is saturated.


oh no i understand that its legal to pay it but i have to wonder why an office would pay somneone so little, what else are they skimming on? I go from personal experience because i was a patient at a dr office that paid his MAs minimum wage his excuse was that he was a small business and couldnt afford more. i think thats a cope out


Renee, you made a very good point. If they are skimming on the medical assistant's wages, what else are they skimming on. Perhaps one wouldn't want to work for this kind of office anyways. And always remember... happy employees, happy customers, happy business. You think a minimum wage paid MA will give a hoot about her present job if there is another opportunity elsewhere? And if s/he doesn't feel like coming in that day, you think s/he will? Think again.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Site Admin

Re: whats started such a low pay trend?

I don't think that it's the doctor's fault alone. If they are not forced to pay more they are not. I am sure that many doctors across the country pay more than these small wages, but remember the skills that we medical assistants learn can be taught in a short time. You don't need an associate's degree to be a medical assistant,might as well be a nurse. I think a lot of us are fortunate enough to get jobs where the doctors teach us things that nurses may do etc. Medical assisting should be viewed as an entry positon into healthcare and we should grow from there. If someone wants to stay a medical assistant as a career than i am sure they will eventually make more money. If not, then they should look for a place that will welcome their knowledge and pay for it. Total respect to all of us and everything is said with the most respect.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CCMA

Are You Still In School? No

Are You Working? Yes

Re: whats started such a low pay trend?

I think we do need to learn alot as medical assistants at least at my college, and we need to know how to do administrative and clinical tasks so we should be paid higher (not that my college taught me properly). The reason I went for medical assisting is because I did not want to do nursing. If you get a certificate for ma do you learn both sides? Im going for my associates and graduate in a few months and we need 67 credit hrs plus the hrs for the externship. My externship lasts all semester pretty much.

Re: whats started such a low pay trend?

I have noticed that the only thing besides experience that helps you get more money is being certified. A certified MA can make more than a MA that is not. A nurse makes so much more and you learn a lot more in school. Even if a MA that has an associate degree in Medical Assisting goes back to school to be a nurse, they still have to take a lot of clinical classes and classes on how to recognize different signs of disease.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CCMA

Are You Still In School? No

Are You Working? Yes