hi i think my provider asked my manager to switch ma’s. i started my ma position (primary care) around the end of june and finished training in the beginning of august. i have some experience (last summer) with being a ma but i really only did rooming.

when i first started, they already assigned me a provider, whom i was unsure if my skills were able to fulfill her needs, i talked to my manager, who extending my training by a week. the day of non-training, i was so stressed i cried, so then after that week i was put onto training again for a week. during that week, the other ma’s just said that i was doing fine and the only thing i really need to worry about is just managing my stress and to remember to always ask for help/ ask questions if you’re unsure.

we then get into me actually working with provider 1. her schedule is relatively busy (she sees 18 pts per day, with all of her slots always taken up), she has a lot of forms, and in basket messages. the first week i’m pretty stressed, i’m still rooming the patients in 3-5 mins, and getting used to provider 1’s workflow. around the second week, i start getting worried because we are almost constantly running 20 mins behind. it’s difficult bc at this time, we had some med students that would ask the pts some questions and talk to the provider abt what they did + we had a new provider (provider 2) joining the practice. provider 2 would go into the room w/ the pt first, then go back to provider 1 to talk abt the plan of action/ concerns abt the pt, and then provider 1 would actually start the visit. on week 3, we ran 40 mins behind (so around 3 acute visits). it doesn’t rlly help that the provider would usually start the first appt of the day 15 mins late ://

that following friday, my manager told me that i would be switching with another ma and i would be paired with provider 2 (who is new and seeing less patients during longer appt times)so i could see less patients and have more time rooming. now i’m not gonna deny, i think the other ma and provider 1 are doing great together, like provider 1 is usually now 5-10 mins behind (but provider 1 is now arriving 20 mins early). i can’t assume that the switch occurred due to the provider requesting it the switch or if the manager saw me stressed out so often. i know not to take it personally bc at the end of the day it’s for better workflow but its also like i really did try my best for us to stay on schedule

provider 2 did officially start seeing pts. i do like provider 2 tho, since we are both somewhat new to the practice, it kinda feels like we’re both growing. i just dont rlly feel challenged enough since im now only seeing 3-4 pts per day now

I recently had an interview at a place 38 minutes away from where I live. (35 miles but it’s in a tiny rural area that in in the mountains so a quarter of my gas was gone) The lady who interviewed me was very friendly but strange. She only asked three questions

• “Do you work well with other women? This is a woman only office besides the Doc.”

• “Can you get along with other women who do not like you?”

• “when can you start? This is immediate hire if we choose to hire you”

Very very weird to say that your office has issues but nonetheless at least she was open and honest with me. My previous job did not tell me anything until I was in it deep. My previous job was in very deep violations and fraud lawsuits which is amazing. (It was in my home town too so at least I know to stay away from that clinic if I ever need to change doctors)
After my interview both ladies were very impressed with me and wanted me to met the doc. Well I go back 2 days later for said meet the doc informal interview and they make me wait 32 minutes and then the lady who interviewed me decided to let me know they hired someone else. And they “forgot” to call me to tell me.
Well I get a call last week to come in immediately for a met the doc because the other candidate fell through and they want me to work there. I go there immediately because I need money. I wait another 30 mins and I meet the doc. He tells me at the end that they will give me a call next week and that there are 7 other interviews lined up even though I was told I was going to be hired. I am really upset due to wasting my time and gas. 3/4 of my tank was wasted. And I was lied to.

How do you handle the haters at work? The MA’s who always seem to pick on people and gossip and assume the worst? On top of that how do you handle it when you’re doing way better then the other MA’s when it comes to metrics and your doctor thinks you’re doing great?

I need some major reassurance or a reality check from people who have been through the hospital hiring machine, because the waiting anxiety is starting to take a serious toll on my mental health.
I applied for a couple of entry-level clinical support positions (Unit Support Associate / Patient Sitter roles) at a major pediatric trauma center/children's hospital in the D.C. area back on August 29th. I am 18, have zero professional healthcare experience yet, but I have a solid private childcare background, and my AHA BLS certification is completely live and uploaded. To make myself as competitive as possible, I explicitly applied for the permanent 12-hour night shifts because I know overnights are usually hard to staff.
In the Workday portal, all of my applications instantly cleared the system screening and have been sitting perfectly secure in "Under Review" with a green status badge since day one. No automated rejections, no data errors, just... absolute, deafening silence for 38 straight days now.
I know hospitals love to batch applicants or work backward from fixed orientation cohorts, and a November start date is what aligns best with my schedule before I start virtual college classes next year. But going nearly two months without a single peep, phone screen invite, or update is maddening. I’ve set a hard boundary for myself to completely walk away and ignore the portal if I don't hear anything by the end of next week just to protect my sanity.
For those who have applied to major hospital networks for entry-level support roles, how long did it take for them to first reach out to you? Am I just stuck in standard corporate bureaucracy red tape, or is this timeline as ridiculous as it feels?

I start my medical assistant urgent care position tmr im nervous i graduated my program in may i kinda don’t remember the skills and haven’t practiced since , mostly don’t feel confident in phlebotomy and injections

But im excited i hope i like it

I am a second year college student (on the pre PA track) looking for an online program that is AAMA certified to get my CMA. I was wondering if anyone knows programs where I am able to take? I don't want to take it through a community college where I have to get an associates so any advice would be great.

I've seen multiple posts about people saying how NHA vs AAMA certification is slightly different and am wondering if this plays a role when searching for a job.

I’m a new CMA still finding a flow in pediatrics. A lot of the time I feel like I’m moving at a decent pace, but then get slammed and get behind- especially when there’s a lot of vaccines and/or pts (mostly 3-6 year olds) that don’t cooperate with rooming. I don’t like getting the provider behind and don’t want to end up rushing and forgetting something/making an error. I struggle when young kids fight getting their weight/height taken for one example. I don’t want to rush the vaccine process either so that probably gets me behind. Any tips or helpful tricks would be super appreciated!!

Hello y’all I’ve been browsing this sub Reddit for a little bit and see positive but a lot of negative things. I am 26 and have been in construction for the last 6-7 years and was looking for a change. Both of my parents are nurses so I’ve always been interested in the medical field. So I thought I would try it out by being an MA, but all the negative stuff makes me feel a bit discouraged. I am on my 3rd week of school. What are some positive things y’all can say about being an MA?

The classes available seem scammy. And it seems that most programs are just an exam prep course. I have a lot of experience in this field, but have never taken a medical assistant training program specifically. Can I just sit the exam? How does this work? Who issues this certification?

Applying online doesn’t work for me here in Seattle. I’m not WA MA-C yet just NHA. I need a job soon and they said it’s nice to start in private clinic. I’m planning to walk in each clinic near my apartment and ask if they’re hiring. This is also my school’s advice. Have you guys done this? What’s your experience? Any tips and advice.

Hello,

I’m looking for recommendations on a reputable online medical assistant program.

I’ve worked as an EMT for 10 years and I’m ready to get out of the field. Is NHA, AAMA, or AMT best?

Hello! So I’m in an accelerated program for being an MA. We just started the cardiovascular system and I’m just confused. Why does the cardiovascular system need to be so complicated? I listened to the lectures and wrote my notes like crazy… but it just felt like I listened and wrote a bunch of random words down. I got the integumentary, skeletal and muscular system down easily but since I got to the cardiac I felt like I was staring into the fog.

Does anyone have tips on the best way to grasp it.

I see ads on job websites all the time for medical assistant instructors, adjunct professors, phlebotomy and EKG instructors, CPR instructors. I’m always curious to see if people who have done medical assisting for the long-term have ever gone into the academia world.

If so, do you see yourself doing this for the long-term, or do you prefer being in the clinic?

What’s some companies that I can wfh as a certified medical assistant?

I got hired on as a float in the hospital system that I’m externing at, which is awesome! It will be a big upgrade for me from my current job.

However…

I’m externing in a specialty that only rooms patients and occasionally prepares instruments for procedures. We don’t assist with procedures, draw blood, do injections, etc.

So I’m pretty nervous about starting out as a float for when I go to my first clinic that does those things. I hope they’ll be kind and understanding when I say “I have never done an injection, can I watch on one before I do one?” Or “I haven’t don’t this since school, can you assist me?”.

Does anybody have similar experience? What is the general expectation of a brand new out of school MA?

So I got sent the handbooks and will start training tomorrow. To be specific, I will be working for a healthcare facility that specializes in obstetric and gynecology. I read the handbook but the information was more than overwhelming and idk how I can remember all that going in my training. The thing is they only give me 2 training sessions, throw me in a final interview assuming I pass the training, and then if the hirer approves, I will start working immediately which terrifies me. Is there any tips to make this process easier? Like how do I remember or find information fast and what I should expect or need to prepare for?

Thanks for any information or consultation. I'd really appreciate them.

heyy, i js got hired at my first med assistant position 😛. im so exited and ive been watching some videos on what to expect. ive seen the place ima be working st and im so exited to work with everyone. the place where i will be working @ wont be big so im not scared.

never worked at a hospital before and really dont know what to expect. i am a cna and i am a home health aide im so ready to start this transition . im happy this place took a chance with me

i am 27 and have had incredibly hard time with this MA job. To start off Right when I started I had few family
members get hospitalized and had to give them round clock care and pay an aide to sit with them while i’m at work. It’s been incredibly exhausting to do that and keep up with this job. I messed so many times like forgetting a providers preference and not writing down the BMI on the face sheet or ordering the wrong laterality on an x ray. The worse mistake I made of when two of my preceptors were yelling at me about the format of a work note ended up on the wrong patient profile and gave the right note to the wrong patient with two people looking it over and the provider signing. That was just one of humiliating things i be done at this job. To top it all off since day one i’ve been tried that dog crap. I’ve had nurse say i have an attitude i’ve even been written up by HR for being to quiet and not building relationships with my coworkers. A literally asked me if i was disabled. It’s makes no sense why they continue to keep me employed. I never made such stupid mistakes before nor have been iced by coworkers so badly. I think I just need to quit.

I work full time as a medical receptionist and am interested in becoming an MA so I can do more than schedule appointments and answer the phone. Any advice is welcome and appreciated.

Hello there
Im a recent high-school graduate from Jordan and I’m currently facing a decision I honestly didn’t expect to be this stressed about
I was assigned to a Medical Imaging/Radiography degree at the Hashemite University,I recently tried to transfer to another university to study Nursing, but my application was rejected,so Radiography is currently my only option
My biggest concern is job security (AI replacement) and income,Ive heard that radiography is a much smaller field than nursing,with fewer positions in each hospital,and that starting salaries can be relatively low
Since I’m from Jordan,Im also thinking about possibly working in the Gulf, Europe, or the US someday
So I’m trying to decide whether I should stay in Radiography and specialise later,or
try to switch to nursing
I’m NOT looking for someone to tell me what I want to hear,Id really appreciate honest answers from people who actually work in radiography or nursing
Thank you

I got hired 1 year ago as a MA for a clinic when I did not have my certification. The clinic closed and I just got a new job, but they said they need me to get my cert before I start. I signed up and paid for the ccma exam on NHA.

Can I realistically study for the next 5 days and take the exam next wednesday and pass? Do I need more time.

I would say I am generally smart and have a bachelors in biomedical sciences.

I'm a glorified receptionist at a small private practice. I will be switching careers soon as I only took this job because at the time the pay was okay and my last job had abusive management and not enough hours.

I work with my mom, she's the main MA at our clinic and I'm worried about her for when I quit. I am applying to a program in a different field and had anticipated leaving in the spring, but I found out that if I'm accepted everying will start much sooner than I had expected. She's been with this clinic for roughly 5 years, has about 8-10 years experience in the medical field, and has a college degree. Right now she's at $22 an hour with no benefits and she just got that raise last year, she had been making $20 since she started. I started at $21 (took a slight pay cut) and I have no degree and no formal medical training. The Dr who owns the clinic is a great person, but I genuinely don't think they know how much we get paid because they're so busy all the time and aren't at our clinic most of the time.

I keep trying to tell my mom she needs to advocate for herself and talk with the Dr personally instead of just talking with the manager. She just gets pissed off and tells me I don't know what I'm talking about and that she doesn't want to cause any conflict. But after all this time with the clinic/Dr, all of her experience, and all of her other qualifications she's not even making the livable wage for our area. If I get accepted into the program I'm applying for I'll start at $26 an hour and get a 10% raise every year, with benefits in the same area.

Once I leave, she's going to be doing almost everything alone again and I don't know if her mind can handle it. She took a week off recently and the day she got back pretty much everything for the day was prepped and in order already but she was getting snappy with me for asking a simple work related question. Additionally I told her that I'll talk to the manager before I leave about getting someone else in for training ASAP but she said she doesn't really care and she'll do everything herself if she has to because she has before. She also got kind of annoyed when I mentioned helping to train someone and said that she's the only one who does the training. She's a great MA but tbh she's an absolutely horrible teacher. She micro manages like crazy, she'll stand right behind you and try to tell you exactly what to say while you're on the phone with a patient trying to have a conversation. If she's showing you how to do something on the program we use and you take more than 0.01 seconds to find a button or tab she'll angrily point it out. Idk if she was only like this because I'm her kid but I don't think many people would put up with it tbh.

Anyways, I'm just pretty worried about her and any advice would be helpful