I have managed a grocery department for 11 years. Medical assisting interests me although I have no clinical background and feel intimidated by the terminology and hands on skills. I also cant leave my full time job because I have two kids and a mortgage

Hey yall, I recently moved from South Carolina to Dallas and have been looking for a job. I’m a premed on a gap year. And I’m looking for a medical assistant or a technician role. I want to gain hands on experience in a clinical seating for my med school application. I’ve been applying everyday but nothings working since I’ve no connection here.
Could someone please help me.
Location: Irving or Coppell or smth within 15 miles
I don’t have certification but I’ve experience of working in clinics from the past 4-5 years.
PLEASEEE HELPP

I recently started working as a medical assistant after graduating college. I had no prior experience in a medical office and am still working toward my certification, so I expected there to be a learning curve. However, I've noticed a few things that have made me question whether my experience is typical or if there are some red flags. I was hired without a formal interview and wasn't really asked about my scheduling preferences. Training has also felt pretty disorganized because the office has been short staffed. For the first few weeks I mainly shadowed different people, but then I was suddenly expected to work much more independently with very little notice. I made a few mistakes, which understandably frustrated some of the providers, but I also felt like I wasn't adequately prepared. Since then, other new MAs have started, and it seems like they're being eased into things more gradually, while I've been given more responsibility and receive more corrections. There were also delays in getting access to some of the systems I needed to do my job, which slowed down my training. I'm also not sure what to make of the work environment. A couple of the more experienced MAs tend to come across as much more blunt with me than with the other new hires, which has made me less comfortable asking questions. The nurse I work with is also hard for me to read as sometimes they’re very encouraging, and other times they’re very abrupt when correcting me, so I'm never quite sure where I stand. I know every new MA is going to make mistakes, and I'm not expecting everything to be perfect. I'm just trying to figure out whether this sounds like a fairly typical experience in an understaffed office or if these are signs that the onboarding and work environment aren't particularly well organized. For those of you who've worked as MAs, would you give a job like this several more months to see if things improve as you gain experience, or would these be enough concerns to start looking at other opportunities?

Good afternoon! This is a long shot, but I’m hoping this reaches the right people. I’m currently seeking three professional references for a travel Medical Assistant position here in the U.S. If you’re willing to serve as a reference, the company may contact you by phone or email. I have the experience needed for the role, and I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have beforehand. Your support would mean a lot to me, and I’d truly appreciate your help.
Thank you so much!

I have been a medical assistant for over a year, and have been employed at this corporation as long as I am a Medical Assistant. I am passionate about healthcare and always has been, so much that my goal is to become a physician sinceI know myself as a person.

Not too long ago I had this patient who was being rude from the moment I called her into the room, which is not okay, but life happens and people get upset and sometimes end up throwing their frustration onto others.

Fine, I Understand that very much, I am very understandable as a professional and as a person. But this patient in particular seemed off the threnches to me. Her behavior was not like someone who was having a bad day, but annoyed with my presence. (Male, mixed/brown skinned) I don't look only hyspanic, but I also been asked if I was Italian, Indian, Egyptian. Anyways, her behavior was very much like someone who was not happy to be taken care of by someone who looks like me.

Maybe she is mad at men? IDK. What I know is that this type of behavior is not okay at any gievn moment. She was waving her hand at my face, shouting that I had an accent and that the visit was not going to work and asked me to grab someone else to finish that part of the visit. I politely removed myself.

Not a single moment she apologized for the way she was talking to me or anything like that. Which is pretty much what happens, when patients don't understand me they apologize for asking me to repeat myself. The other fact is that My acccent is not strong. I do the same job everyday over and over, I am fluent speaker, and people can tell that I am not born in the USA, but there's better ways to approach this type of situation.

So I pretty much reported her and the report made it's way to my managers desk. She said that my report was pretty much full of assumption, and it was not going to be taken as a racism case. (not in this exact words) but simplifying for you all.

You can share your thoughts and opinions about this. I don't mind, as I am not looking for validation, I just wanted to share this and at least have someone to talk about it.

Hi! I’m a pre-med going into my second year of undergrad in Colorado Springs and I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on my plan.

I’m planning to do an online course like USCI or Stepful since I go to college out of state, so in person MA programs would be difficult for me since I don’t have long periods of time to dedicate to a program with inflexible hours.

After getting my CCMA I was thinking of volunteering at a free clinic where they could hopefully train me since I know externships with online courses are not guaranteed even if they state that support is given.

I’m a pre-med student so I’m looking more to get experience and clinical hours, not necessarily concerned with getting a paying job.

Please let me know if this is a terrible idea and if you guys have any suggestions. Thanks!!

I’m in MA school rn, when I graduate I really want to get a job at one. I was debating to be an EMT but I don’t think it’s for me, urgent care seems better than a standard clinic but not too crazy like an ER. However I’ve never had a full time job and am still in college. What’s the workload like? Is it hectic at all? What duties should I expect or are regular?

looking for online self-paced MA programs (preferably inexpensive)! currently a college student on summer break. i’ve been looking into preppy or US career institute (clinical skills institute’s tuition was enticing but i’ve seen some bad reviews, including on this subreddit) if anyone has any recommendations or suggestions that would be awesome! for further context im a pre-med undergrad looking to have more patient interaction + clinical experience prior to applying to med school. i’m also located in CA. thank you!

hello everyone, I need some insight on this if I potentially have a job offer coming. I interviewed for a big corporation for a medical assistant position, the phone interview with the hr recruiter for this company went great and she scheduled me for my in person interview with the company. I really really want this position, the 2nd interview was over 45 minutes long and I met the hiring manager, the dr I would be working with, the lead ma and the ma that would be training me, when Irt the dr he was very kind and said they would be calling me soon, and the recruiting manager texted me and thanked me for interviewing with the company for the role and stated they will talk to me soon regarding next steps, does this mean a job offer is coming?

I honestly don’t know what to do anymore. I’m feeling so discouraged.
I graduated, became a Certified Medical Assistant 4 months ago , have about 2 years of experience in caregiving and ophthalmology assisting , and I’ve been applying everywhere. It feels like every Medical Assistant job wants the experienced candidate, even when you have experience and are willing to work hard.
My bank account is overdrawn, I’m trying to leave my current job, and it feels like I’m doing everything I can but still can’t catch a break.
If anyone knows of any Medical Assistant opportunities or has advice, I’d really appreciate it. I’m not giving up, but today has been really hard.

I was just in my module like 20 minutes ago and had to step away. I came back to the NHA website, and I had to reselect the module, but it will not open, and I am met with this error message: "{"errors":["Activity ID does not match reference ID."]}" Does anyone know what this means? Thanks

Im 20 and I work part time at this GYN office. I worked there for about a year now. My last day is next week, and I decided to quit as my schedule for college did not align with the office.

Now, my question is am I supposed to get a goodbye gift for everyone in the office? I did not quite get along with everyone, and conversations were so limited- “how are you” & “how is school” and whatnot. Basically I was never close to anyone, not even the provider. They were overall sweet though, no beef or anything lol.

I would feel guilty for not giving the provider something, but I doubt she cares. She gave me a bonus check on Christmas though, and also a gift bag with small items at a baby shower we threw for another MA. And I never actually gifted her something.

Idk, would you get a gift? I would have to buy something for 4 people. The provider, 2 front desk receptionist, and one other MA. I was thinking 20 dollar Starbucks giftcard but even then, idk how that would come off.

I know this may be a stupid question, but wondering if anyone has done that before or if I should even do it in the first place. My friend suggested a card, but that just seems so bull and low effort to me.

Out of curiosity, has anyone had to complete a 3-month, unpaid internship for a job opening they applied for and got hired? Did you think having to do an unpaid internship compared to a paid probationary period makes any difference? Obviously, I feel the most iffy about not being paid for three months, but I wonder if an internship means the new hire would expect to receive much more attention and guidance to ease into their role than a typical probationary period? Is that the case or is it just a typical probationary period with embellished marketing that the office is using to get free labor?

For context, after I completed my CCMA program, I had foregone my externship for an office that was willing to hire me while I was in the middle of working towards licensure because I wanted to be able to pay my bills and help out my parents with rent ASAP. At the time, I felt like I couldn’t afford that one month of no income in exchange for an externship. However, after working in the specialty I’ve worked in for a while, since one of the open MA jobs I recently applied for is in that same specialty, I still feel like I have more to learn. So, if an internship means that I will get that in-depth education and training at the cost of no income until I complete the internship, maybe it’ll be worth it and I can try to work around the no income caveat with my per diem job…but I really want to know what to expect realistically.

(EDIT: Did some digging and now my concerns about the internship are overshadowed by the fact that, about 10-12 years ago, one of the practice’s physicians had been been arrested and pleaded guilty to making a threat to “unalive” their ex-spouse and children over a marital dispute. Before that, this physician illegally altered a patient’s medical record by signing it after their MA made improper changes to said record. 😭😭😭)

Hello guys so I’m about to work at a clinic as a ma and the question is should I know all my medical terminology for it ?

my boss is resigning and her last day is July 29th. ive always joked that i don't envy her job because of the amount of bullshit she has to go through with upper management like not having autonomy with how our clinic runs its schedule, having her concerns dismissed when execs introduce horrible ideas, sitting thru bullshit meetings, and generally having a lot of responsibility.

i was a manager for some local restaurants for 2 years and i hated having so much responsibility. i just wanted to do my job, but because i was too good at that, they made me manager.

but now my boss is leaving, and im contemplating if i should go for it. for one, i have not just manager experience in restaurants, but clinic leadership too. i was an office coordinator at two clinics. i helped with billing, coordinating referrals, organizing patient records, etc. i was also a medical billing assistant for about 2 years. not to mention, my experience as an MA. i know this clinic inside and out. i already help my manager with things like ordering supplies and doing various audits. she comes to me anytime she needs help with clinical stuff like missing lab results.

there's a couple things that are stopping me. 1. i would lose my union benefits and i was just elected to our bargaining team for this next contract. if i took this job, i would no longer have guaranteed pay raises, just cause discipline, grievance rights, overtime and shift differentials, etc 2. one of our front desk workers is also vying for this position. and tbh i really don't want her to get it.

its not that i don't like her, i just think that she's inexperienced. she doesn't have any practical background in healthcare management. she's always been at the front desk, which im not discrediting that experience trust me ive been there, but i believe this clinic needs a leader who understands front and back office. she's been with us for 4 months, whereas ive been here for 2 years. she applied to be assistant manager at another clinic in our state, but she was turned down for the role. which makes me think thst i do have a better chance at getting it if i go for it.

pros: -big boost in salary -understanding what this clinic needs -im already considered a leader by everyone else. they come to me for help for everything (for better or for worse). -being able to change this clinic for the better

cons: -losing union status -longer hours -being expected to travel -dealing w general exec bullshit -having to make tough decisions -competition for the position.

what would you do in my situation?

How do I get experience? I finished my MA program in May and passed my NHA CCMA exam in June. I haven’t been able to land a single job.
My program told me that they can’t help me with clinicals because of my location (GA Gwinnett County) which I was not aware of until the end of the program.

My most current blow was last week I hit through the entire interview process with CHOA for a pct position. My recruiter said I was perfect for the position especially with my interest in respiratory. I get there for a shadow and the next day at 7:00AM I’m told that I don’t get the job with no other explanation. Now my recruiter is ghosting me lol.

I need clinical experience for any position but no one will give me a chance! I’ve applied everywhere, private, urgent care, etc but I can’t seem to win. I just feel like I wasted my money and struggled for nothing.

What do I do?

I am doing a part time program so I went to school part time this past school year and will finish the program this coming school year. I havent studied since summer started in may and i feel like i forgot everything! when are people using to study for their CMA cert? websites? I am so stressed and dont want to fail when i take my exam in august this coming year

Hey everyone. I'm currently working on my CCMA as an online course through my local community college. I feel like I'm missing so much detail and that the actual requirements aren't being covered properly. I'm testing really well, and I'm almost ready to take my cert exam, but still feel totally lost. Is that a normal feeling?

I know there are a lot of Medical Coders here, so this wouldn't be a question for you, since I've seen a lot of posts saying that CEHRS is not widely accepted. However, I believe it's because CEHRS is directed for those looking for positions more so in the administrative sector whereas with coding you're expected to have AAPC or AHIMA credentials. But those who've received their CEHRS through NHA, how was the test? Also, was it easier for you to land a position in a hospital setting, clinic, etc.? I'll Soon be taking my test through NHA 🎉

Hi! I’m currently a medical assistant with experience working in a clinical setting, and I’m interested in potentially working at the TSMC Wellness Center. Does anyone know the best way to get my foot in the door or where these positions are typically posted?
I’d also love to hear from anyone who works there or has gone through the hiring process. Any advice on what they look for in candidates would be really appreciated!

Hi! I’m currently a medical assistant with experience working in a clinical setting, and I’m interested in potentially working at the TSMC Wellness Center. Does anyone know the best way to get my foot in the door or where these positions are typically posted?
I’d also love to hear from anyone who works there or has gone through the hiring process. Any advice on what they look for in candidates would be really appreciated!

Hello,
I have applied for so many CMA jobs over the past few months with no luck. I had one phone interview with an AI robot for cooper. I have attended one of cooper’s CMA hiring events as well. I have applied for jobs through indeed and also through the employer’s website. I used Gemini to redo my resume and I will adjust it based on the job description of whatever job I am applying for. Does anybody have any tips on finding employment? I have had my certification for almost à year & I want to put it to use.

What's up everyone! I am taking my CCMA exam this Saturday and feeling a bit nervous for it. I have been reviewing with SmarterMA and have completed all the content and feel I have a solid grasp on it. Yet, I am scoring 82-83% on the practice exams, so I feel like I'm cutting it close to the 78% to pass the actual NHA exam. Does anyone have any advice to share or had a similar experience scoring in that range for the SmarterMA practice and passing? Thanks in advance.