I AM IN MY 2ND QUARTER OF M.A. SCHOOL, AT A COLLEGE, I WAS JUST READING ALL OF THE MESSAGES ABOUT MA'S, AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IS THERE ANYTHING POSITIVE ABOUT BEING A MA? I READ SOME OF THESE MESSAGES AND WONDER IF I SHOULD CARRY ON WITH IT. I AM REALLY DESPERATE ABOUT GETTING A DEGREE AND GETTING OUT ON MY OWN (WITH MY 14 YEAR OLD) BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I WON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PROVIDE FOR US. I KEEP HEARING HOW BAD THE PAY IS AND ALL, AND IT REALLY SCARES ME. I AM NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER. I DIDN'T QUITE MAKE NURSING SCHOOL, SO THEY OFFERED ME THIS INSTEAD, AND IT'S NOT AS HARD AS NURSING SCHOOL, BUT I WANT TO MAKE A DECENT LIVING. DOES ANYONE GET STEADY RAISES? AND HAS ANYONE HAD TO GET A 2ND JOB TO MAKE ENDS MEET? PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR INPUT ON THIS
SUZANNE

Your Professional Title/Credentials: M.A. STUDENT

Are You Still In School? YES

Are You Working? NO

this also bothers me intensely. the standard entry level wage is about 12 dollars. here in stupid GA the wage starting wage is about ten, and in CA (where I'm from) the entry level wage is like 11$ to 13$.

I have a friend out there who makes 16$ an hour and she's been working as one for two years. not too shabby.

also you can work your way up to office manager and make like nearly twice that amount I'm told. but then you don't get to do any clinicals I think.

you can always cross train, or add additional training and get cirtified in other areas as well to add on to your CMA.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: student

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? no

Suzanne,

I love my job...is that positive? I had three doctors appointments today with an hour left between each. What did I do? It didn't make much sense to drive home and back out again. All of these doctors were right near where I work. So twice today, I stopped in at work for an hour, just to visit, answered a few phones, faxed a few things, etc.

The pay is lousy where I live, there are places where MAs make considerably more, although cost of living is high in those areas also.

Unless you're going to a college (not a tech school) and are getting courses that will transfer into a nursing program (A&P I&II, Chemistry, Biology, etc.) you might want to see if you can go the diploma route instead of the degree route since it most times isn't worthwhile (rarely do you make any more $ with a degree in this field).

The reason so many of us want change is to make things better for MAs. If we didn't love the job, we'd just jump ship and find another career.

I make less than 9.00 an hour, terrible pay. I DID however see a posting last night for a job paying 12-15.00 an hour for MAs assisting in clinical trials. The location is too far for me, especially in the winter and with the gas prices, but there are options out there.

Am I making you feel better or worse?

Lorraine
CMA, CNA

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA, CNA

Are You Still In School? No

Are You Working? Yes

HEY LORRAINE,
I FEEL A LITTLE BETTER, BUT NOT QUITE. YOU KNOW ON OTHER WEBSITES THEY TALK ABOUT MA'S ARE IN DEMAND, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WOULD WANT TO PAY MORE JUST TO GET PEOPLE TO BE MA'S. WHO COULD WE COMPLAIN TO? THE PRESIDENT? HA-HA, I AM SERIOUS THOUGH, WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE TO GET IT GOING. THE MORE I GO TO COLLEGE AND LEARN ABOUT ALL THE RESPONSIBILITIES YOU DO, YOU SHOULD BE PAID RIGHT BEHIND A LPN, AND EVEN THERE PAY ISN'T THAT GREAT. HERE IN GA. ABOUT $10 AN HOUR, START. I FIGURE IF A PERSON COULD MAKE $15.00 AN HOUR THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERABLE, LIKE ABOUT $500.00 A WEEK, I WOULD GO WITH THAT. SO ANY INPUT YOU COULD GIVE ME WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
THANKS,
SUZANNE

Your Professional Title/Credentials: M.A. STUDENT

Are You Still In School? YES

Are You Working? NO

I have been an MA since 1993. I now make more than a starting LPN wage. I LOVE my job, always have. I have never had trouble finding a job and MA's are well respected in this area. I say job satisfaction beats pay any day of the week. I get by. Am I rich? No. Can my bills get paid, yup. Good luck to you! :)

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA,RMA, CNA, SN

Are You Still In School? Yes

Are You Working? yes

suzanne, do you go to valdosta tech?

Your Professional Title/Credentials: student

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? no

Tracy after 13 years you make more than an LPN thats just starting? How much more? Thats not so good that it took you 13 years to now make what a starting LPN makes. MA's perform a wide variety of tasks yet are paid dirt!

Your Professional Title/Credentials: Nurse

Are You Still In School? Yes

Are You Working? Yes

Unless you have one to two years experience you won't find a job. I have been trying to find a job in a clinical setting or front office for a year now. I really regret taking the MA course, or any health care course. Unless you have experience, for get it. I wish someone would have told me that you needed that much experience before you can get a job. How do they expect you to get experience if they won't take a chance on you. And externships don't count. It is the most frustrating thing. I guess I will just go back to cleaning. Julie

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA

Are You Still In School? NO

Are You Working? NO