This active Medical Assistant Web Forum is maintained by Danni R., former Certified Medical Assistant, who has made her mark on the Internet by reaching thousands of medical assistant students, graduates and experienced medical assistants coast to coast through her well known websites and web forums dedicated to ALL medical assistants in the USA and abroad. Many medical assistant students and professionals have come and gone, leaving posts about their dreams, concerns and aspirations. Many reached out whenever possible to lend a helping hand to their peers in the true spirit of this profession! Thank you to all who have supported and contributed to this very active Medical Assistant Web Forum.
Our Motto: "If Medical Assistants post it - Medical Assistants will reply!"
Silly little timeouts (ok, don't know if that happens here or not, but I will assume it this case! :P )
Anyways, I do have more adivce to offer. I know because I am unsuccessful in landing an MA job that you might feel that you must take what I type with a grain of salt. Fine. I get that. But I have more to say and I am gonna say it.
Go to CNA school and join the AAMA or any other professional organization. Start being active in it and network!
I was in the top ten percent of my MA class and graduated with Honors and a 4.0 GPA from my MA School. I also earned 6 Certificates of Achievement from the Allied Health Director for making the A+ Honor Roll and earned 6 more Certificates of Achievement for good attendance. Not to mention 2 more certificates for Healthcare related Community Services. I also recieved 5 letters of recommendation from seasoned healthcare professionals.
I feel it's a huge kick in the groin to have to pay another 1,000 Dollars to become a CNA and have to give up weekends and holidays and make minimun wage. Especially when my female counterparts who didn't work as hard as I did landed MA Jobs, while I am stuck with no paycheck.
But I am becoming a certified Phlebotomist and an EKG Technician. I might be able to land a job in a hospital and move up from being a PCT 1 to maybe a 2 or a 3 and make more money! Again, I can still network and continue to apply for MA jobs. There isn't a law against it.
Also when I was completing my MA Course. I got a crush on an instructor (I never told anybody, of course) and fell in love with a woman who suffers from Fibromyalgia. Despite not being able to have them. They did inspire me to want to return to my school and learn Massage Therapy! I would later learn that Chiropractors Hire Massage Therapists and I can always use that training to open a side business and make some money! Consider that.
Also look around for tech schools. In a local newspaper handout, I found an X-ray school that only costs 1,000 Dollars to attend! I can do that while working in a long term care facility!
Let me post one more idea, then I promise I will stop this.
Your Professional Title/Credentials: Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant
Are You Still In School? yes
Are You Working? No
My last idea, is to work on your resume. I recommend buying a program called Resume Maker Professional or Ultimate.
They have a nice PDF Printout booklet that offers some good advice for finding employment. I landed a job interview already for a Chiropractor and he may call me for a working interview. I only sent out three resumes so far, but I am sending more out tomorrow. The Chiropractor I interviewed for may not hire me, but I think I am making more headway, now!
My school's career placement service will critique and check for spelling errors on my resume free of charge! They love seeing me go in there all happy for that!
But the point I am trying to make is this. You guys might make excellent Healthcare Professionals. But your resume might be telling employers the wrong message about you!
I won't go into more detail here, because I don't want to make Danni or anybody else here even madder at me for posting so much stuff here. But consider learning how to write a resume.
Your Professional Title/Credentials: Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant
Are You Still In School? yes
Are You Working? No
Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA (AAMA)
LOL, Chuckles, our Jefff is right... and he beat me to the punch when he says:"Keep going!". I've read and enjoyed all your posts, and your insight and pointers are very good. I don't have a single doubt they will help others as they come and go, and our medical assistant men REALLY need to hear the support, and tips from other men.
Jefff has been here with us for a looooong time, and I bet, he agrees, when I (dare to) say, it can get lonely at times. So, please do come back often. No more silly time outs. (smile!).
Danni
Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Forum Admin
Ok, I will continue a little more. Sorry I have not posted sooner. But CNA School has kept me busy. I had my first major test to study for, but I took it and passed with a 97 on it! :D
Oh yeah, where was I?
Do volunteer work. Not necessarily a hospital since they make you jump through hurdles to get in and volunteer. Though they are very good networking oppotunities if you are able to do it.
Tragically, I was not able to volunteer in a hospital because of scheduling conflicts and the fact did not want to make a commitment I could not keep. But I joinednd and volunteer for an organization that basically helps people find employment if they need it and helps the underemployed keep looking for a better job. Also, being rejected for job after job does kill self esteem, so they provide emotional support and motivation to help keep people going. I guess I should mention they have resume workshops you can attend to as well! It's a good networking opportunity and good place to learn how to find a job.
While I am filling out job applications and sending out resumes, I go to the meetings and have gotten some great job leads and advice. This organization also has Special Interest Groups for certain occupations such as a Human Resources or Engineering for example.
They have a healthcare related Group also, but it consists of persons who are doing consulting work while looking for an executive or upper management positions in a Healthcare related company. I found myself to be the only Medical Assistant in that group. It still appears to be a good networking opportunity for me.
I am considering creating my own Healthcare Assistants group consisting of Medical Assistants, Certified Nursing Assistant and Dental Assistants!
I do not like giving away Job leads for my fellow Medical Assistants since I want a Medical Assistant Job for myself. Not to mention, with my limited time schedule, I am having to give up some fee time to find job leads to submit.
But I do believe that if I do help more and more people find employment even Medical Assistants, they will not forget me. I may help somebody land a Medical Assistant Job, and that person could make Office Manager someday! That person might not forget me when there is an opening at the Office that person is working at!
Should I also mention that the groups I volunteer and work for does help Human Resource Personnel land jobs, and that they could land a job in a variety of Healthcare facilities?
Also I have done volunteer work at Blood Drives and at Health Fairs. They haven't been fruitful in helping me landing the Medical Assistant Job I want. But I did find more direction, got some great advice toward helpng me land that job and received some letters of recomendation for my work.
So do Volunteer work when you can. You never know what can happen...
I do have more to say, but say it later when I get more time. Thank you.
Your Professional Title/Credentials: Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant
Are You Still In School? yes
Are You Working? No
chuckles the MA,
In an interview I have recommended a classmate to a doctor and actually told him why he should hire them over me. I know this was sort of counter productive if I wanted the job... I was hoping to gain credibility with the doc and use him as a tool to get me a decent job. It didn't work out so well for me, but it turned out alright for her.
One of the next interviews I did it came down to another classmate and myself. Again I shot myself in the foot, I don't need health insurance, so they picked her; the other doc in the practice needed a second person to make his "group" for the practice.
Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA (AAMA)
Jefff, I apologize, but I couldn't help but to grin... I know, it's not funny, but on the other hand, it was one of the things where I had to say "who would have thought????".
Thank you for sharing this "momento" of hidden pitfalls that might shoot you into the foot.
Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Forum Admin
Your Professional Title/Credentials: Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant
Are You Still In School? yes
Are You Working? No
I just got out of the Navy after 11 years as an Hospital Corpsman. The American Registry of Medical Assistants will honor your training and experience and will register you if you meet certain criteria. You can go the the website at http://arma-cert.org/ to request an application. Maybe this knowledge will help increase the number of males in the field.
Your Professional Title/Credentials: NREMT-B/ RMA
Are You Still In School? NO
Are You Working? NO
Hey.Hope since the last entry was 5 years ago Danni or Lorranne ( hope I got her name right) will get this.
I've been a cable tech for 17 years.I was laid off for a year and in that time I went and got a CNA license.In a class of 20 I was one of 3 guys.My buddy was already working in a nursing home so after graduating he was all set with a job.
Me? Back in 2008 with only years of telecom experience behind me I couldn't even get a part time gig 3rd shift. Even though the school said men are in need, I was told at every interview most patients ,especially with at home patients wanted women only that men posed a threat to steal form them and women wanted only women in their rooms.
All that money,time, gas in my car- what a waste.
I was considering an MA or NA class but as you've seen all the negitive comments about men getting jobs- it's not worth more money out of my pocket.
It's true though.Patients prefer women unless the man is already a doctor.
I'd love to work in the medical field but what do?
Your Professional Title/Credentials: T-2 cable Technician
Are You Still In School? no
Are You Working? Temping
I am sorry to hear all those who think men can not find jobs. The fact is that many practices would love to find a man. I have been working since completing my MA program and getting certified through AMT. I work in Oncology as an Infusion Tech and do every thing the nurses do except hang Chemo. I am told by the nurses that I am a huge asset to them and they like having me there, so hang in there guys. The right job is out there if you are the right person. I graduated 2.5 yrs ago and have been working from day one so keep the faith.
Your Professional Title/Credentials: RMA
Are You Still In School? no
Are You Working? yes
Keep your heads up guys! I am a licensed EMT in CA and going to MA school during the day!
Volunteer if you can! I have every confidence after I finish MA school in October that I will find a position.
You must become nationally Certified no question about that! You need to use the MA certification as a stepping stone! Don't stop just with MA go on and get a EMT License! or EKG tech.
Look up CALJOBS if you are in CA! I am going through MA school for 1k ! instead of going to a trade school at spending $14k! Really ? No MA school is worth spending $14k on seriously!
It helped me to get my EMT license first then I started MA school! Most places wont hire a MA unless they are nationally certified and state certified.
So get your EMT first then a Urgent care or a Hospital will hire you or you can volunteer and get that valuable time on the job!
You have to think it out first! YOU CAN DO IT!
Your Professional Title/Credentials: EMT
Are You Still In School? Yes
Are You Working? No
Excellent advice. We cannot repeat it often enough. Don't just stop at the medical assistant diploma, but continue your education. Get your certification and strive for special licenses that allow you to perform EKG, radiological imaging (simple x-ray license), phlebotomy certification, Holter monitor, and any other special courses that will bolster your resume, including branching off into nursing and EMT.
Today's job market is more competitive than ever and doctor's expectations are high. They set their own standards when they hire. So, be awesome.
Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Forum Admin
Thanks for the info I'm a new male MA and having problems getting an interview. I grad. from Kaplan College two months ago and did very well at my extern site the Doctor wanted to hire my but could only afford to pay me minimal wage so I turned the job down but now I wonder if I should have settled for the low pay for the exp. I'm in Texas and have had no offers or interviews yet. I will be taking my exam for my phlebotomy certification next week and hope this will help me get my dream job. I was also trained as a combat lifesaver in the military (4 years) but it seems this is not the exp. employers are looking for. For now I will keep my head up and keep looking.
Your Professional Title/Credentials: NRCMA
Are You Still In School? No
Are You Working? No
hard call to make, but IMO any doctor that can only pay minimum wage to someone that is takeing care of patients at the same time that dr charges so much to insurance is only looking for cheap labor
Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Forum Admin
Is this still true today? The offices not wanting to hire male medical assistants I mean. And what about hospitals?
Thanks,
Raymond
Your Professional Title/Credentials: Medical Assistant Student
Are You Still In School? Yes
Are You Working? Yes