I think it's corny how some of the posts that cast a realistic light on some of medical assistant's experiences are being locked so that people can't post replies. I am aware that this is a forum for medical assistant's and to promote the medical assisting "profession" but if someone posts a comment about their negative experience,then others should be able to freely offer advice or share their own gripes. Let's face it, there are problems in every profession,someone should be able to say, look, you might be wasting your time, and money. Without so many feathers getting ruffled, For all the newbiesI hope you have a positive experience, but good luck with that. For all of you who have made excellent careers of medical assisting, that's good for you, but there are some of us who are bitter, angry, an disgruntled with this career path and until you are in the trenches with us you will never know. So why can't people come to this forum to have people offer their own insights without being censored and told " Oh everbody is being to negative and I don't like it" We shouldn't be chastised for telling the truth of our own experiences, if someone has had a negative experience they should be able to post it flatout!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA-(AAMA)

Are You Still In School? nope

Are You Working? nope.. I\'m still lookin\'

Bickering and complaining gets old. I like the analogy some one once told me. You need to be careful around people who are negative because it is a good chance that they will pull you down in the gutter with them. Yeah, pay as an MA can suck, but see my most recent post. I make $9.00/hr and have been an MA for six years and at the same office the entire time; and I live in California! But, I have NEVER regretted going into medical assisting. It bettered my chances of getting into nursing school and since I was around patients prior to I was already comfortable in the medical setting, something many people in my class have had to learn to adjust to. I am in my second semester of a BSN program and although I have already surpassed any skills as an MA at this point, being an MA helped me out immensely the first semester which was VERY stressful. I had an edge. I am sorry if you feel that medical assisting “ripped you off” but maybe you should learn to take the best out of everything. Think about how many people you may have touched as an MA. I have prayed with patients in the hallway at work when they have just lost their children. A man that had to be taken to the E.R. for a possible MI did not want to let go of my hand when the ambulance came. A woman fell apart in my arms when I hugged her after she told me her son had just died in Iraq. Patients have told me they would miss me when I told them I was leaving to go to nursing school. Being a medical assistant is REWARDING even if it is not in financial ways. I am truly BLESSED to be an MA. I just hope new people and students can see past the complaints on here and know that there ARE rewards! Not all rewards have monetary value, the ones I receive are priceless.

Well put, HeartsOpenWide! I support and share your view on this... only, you have a special way to say it better than I could have.

I really feel for Tay, and from reading all her previous posts she seems like a very intelligent and serious professional. She just needs a chance, and I am sure it will come for her.

I gave her a chance to vent, but rather than carrying on, I'd like for her to get some really good support and feedback from others that have more experience under their belt. By this I mean medical assisting experience, but experience with turning lemons into lemonade.



Thanks.

Danni R.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Site Admin

I can imagine how discouraging (particularly to current students) some of the recent posts have been. First of all,NONE of us become MAs for the money,we DO know beforehand it isn't a top paying job. But why is being realistic about certain aspects "negative" and why is pointing out what can only be called SECRETS the wrong thing to do? The field isn't growing,the amount of training programs are. In this area there are 6 schools offering a MA program,yet there is maybe one job ad a month in the papers. The afternoon TV commercials promote those schools heavily (one features hip hop music and images of young girls dancing around),and paint a real rosy picture about the market. What they don't say is how aggressively you may have to search for a job,and it may not be one that best suits you,such as a part time one within 50 miles. Not once in school were we told that we may have to grab anything to get that experience-if anything ever comes along. But of course we never discussed the vast amount of well educated MAs who never find anything either and THIS CAN'T BE PUSHED UNDER A RUG ANYMORE. I'm not talking about those with numerous spelling mistakes on their resumes,or the ones who show up for an interview in a low cut dress and flip flops,or the ones who maybe send out a dozen applications since graduating a year ago,and then complain bitterly. I am talking about legions of intelligent,compassionate people who for one reason or another are just not finding anything,and they try HARD to so they can't figure it out. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED,as well as the good points of medical assisting. But it isn't fair for those with a job,or who have had jobs,or who had no trouble finding a job to say that those who don't ever get anything and talk about it are being "negative".
There is a job search site that may be helpful to some,called "Indeed.com". But on this site are message boards and if you go to the Medical Assistant forums,you will see that it is a nationwide problem,with post after post of the same sad complaint-they can't find anything.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: cert. MA

Are You Still In School? Not in a year

Are You Working? Had a temp job. But even if I had a perm. one,I would feel this way.

Yes, if the situation has indeed changed to a point where "legions of intelligent, compassionate people who for one reason or another are just not finding anything, and they try HARD", then I agree, that would indeed be a very sad situation!


Yet, I don't think that the schools are to blame for this dillemma. After all, they are providing individuals the education and training they desire, to get out of the Burger "Jobs" and join the more promising healthcare field.


If someone should be blamed, then why not the U.S. Department of Labor, which has predicted year after year:


Employment in health care will continue to grow for several reasons. The number of people in older age groups, with much greater than average health care needs, will grow faster than the total population between 2004 and 2014; as a result, the demand for health care will increase.


As the largest industry in 2004, health care provided 13.5 million jobs—13.1 million jobs for wage and salary workers and about 411,000 jobs for the self-employed.


8 out of 20 occupations projected to grow the fastest are in health care.


More new wage and salary jobs—about 19 percent, or 3.6 million—created between 2004 and 2014 will be in health care than in any other industry.



Source:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections

Health Care
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs035.htm#outlook

Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Site Admin

As if I didn't have anything better to do with my time than to create special projects....

I did go ahad and spent a good amount of hours on looking into the realitiy of "MAs Getting Hired Right Off the Street" because I REALLY wanted to know.

Now... 3+ hours of research by far does NOT cover the entire United States coast to coast, nevertheless, based on what I have seen I dare to refute the assertion that was made that properly educated and trained medical assistants have a huge disadvantage over their untrained counter parts hired off the street.

My little project focused on the following three main areas:

1.) Job offers on the Internet (Monster & CareerBuilder)
http://www.careerbuilder.com/Jobseeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?lr=cbcertmed&siteid=certmed003np03&use=all&s_rawwords=medical+assistant&s_freeloc=&x=16&y=14

2.) Job offers in the local newspaper (Last week Saturday & Sunday, and Wednesday)

3.) And a quick trip to FutureWorks Career Center



Result: I have seen thousands of Medical Assistant job offers in all disciplines posted for places in every state.

Rarely did they NOT ask for at least the medical assistant diploma, and experience, but most were looking for certified medical assistant.

One ad that remotely can be understood as mildly indicating that there is a chance to get the job without specific qualification, but offering a chance to may be work your way up eventually as a medical assitstant was worded as follows:


Front Desk Staff Person
Company: Ozog Eye Care

Description
Front Desk
Staff Person

needed for fast paced Ophthalmic practice. Must be dependable, detail oriented, able to multi-task and organized. Patience and compassion in a patient setting required. Answering of multi-phone lines, scheduling, chart preparation, knowledge and entry of patient insurance billing information. F/T, M-F, Benefits available. Salary DOE. Mail resume to:

1417 9th St South #100
Great Falls, MT 59405

Source - Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls, MT


------------------

I was very pleased to find that MANY of the advertised jobs NOW OFFER benefit and bonus packages to the medical assistants! Although the hourly wages still range close to what they were 5-7 years ago, benefits and bonuses were HARDLY EVER offered to medical assistants.

So, I was really glad to see what I hope is the beginning of a new trend and employer's realization of the value of their medical assistant staff.


All in all, I did not find any substantial evidence that recruiters, and employers seek medical assistants off the street.




Danni

Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Site Admin

The Providers decision to hire someone off the street is on them. Their license and practice are all they are risking, let the master pay. You would think someone with that level of education would understand the risks to their lively hood, and pay a commensurate salary for your knowledge. Maybe your job interview will be that platform...

My decision to pursue this field is based on a class I took on career life planning. That class really was an eye opener. It explained why I have been successful at some things and enjoyed doing others.

My decision to peruse a two year MA degree is partially based on having a degree. This is my 4th career in ~25 years. Have I made more money, yes. I have found that regardless of your ability having a degree, any degree, often changes peoples view of you.

Someone here said it before, I'll rephrase and repeat it. Negativity and bad vibes feed on themselves and amplify. Put on an "Aloha" shirt and have a good day!

I have more life experience than some of the folks in my classes have been alive. If it is not productive I don't need it, want it. At least help find a solution and move on.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: working on it

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? no

Ditto.

Thanks Jeff for adding additional insight.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Site Admin

I looked on indeed.com and I was appalled, I have read over 170 posys of people all over the united states who have tried and failed to find jobs as an MA. One woman has been looking and unemployed for 5 YEARS!!, another has sent over 150 resumes and has yet to even have one interview. This is an epidemic and the only real way to remedy the problem is further training and education, and this time around I will make SURE i can find a job so I will never end up in this predicament again, so I don'y have to be "negative" and complain or waste my precious time ever again. The only shining light is that I'm sure medical assisting class has in some way prepared me for nursing school, I think all of the doubters should really visit indeed.com and see for themselves, the real truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If we can't all be honest with each other, then I don't know what else to do, I'm done posting here because I know I am in some way "dragging you all down" but the truth is the truth all day long......

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA

Are You Still In School? nope

Are You Working? nope.. I'm never going to find a job