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What is the best way to become a certified MA or Phlebotomist for pre-health undergraduate students ?
I am an undergraduate student that is Pre-PA. There are a lot of parts to pre-PA including prerequsites and Paid patient care experience. The most common way to get those PCE's is to work as a MA. Is it worth it to pay for a $3,000 program or can I get certified by a doctor? Is there a better and more worth it option?
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Caleb’s Answer
Hi Paige,
Thank you for your question.
I can only speak to my experience and i do not know all the intricacies of your situation, but I would say it would be worth it to get the certification IF you cannot find a medical assistant job that DOES not require certification.
I know in my area, there are some medical assistant job postings at various hospitals that are "non-certified", meaning that you do not need be certified as a medical assistant to work, but I am unaware of the regulations where you are in California. I would recommend researching for medical assistant positions on the websites of hospitals/clinics in your local area and seeing if they require certification or not. If it is not specified, hopefully there is a contact information that you could email or call and ask if certification is required.
If you are interested in a position that requires certification and are measuring if it is worth it or not, I would say "Yes, if it is not too much of a financial burden." I myself am applying to PA school and can attest that PA school is a HUGE expense and I recommend saving every penny you can. Medical assisting in California will net you around $22/hour (I did a very quick Google search for hourly rates of medical assistants in California), which by some rough calculations , would mean you would cover the cost of the $3000 training in just under 4 months of full-time work, assuming you work 40 hours a week. As a medical assistant, your role will vary based on the clinic you work in, like assisting with splinting in an ortho clinic or assisting with vaccination in a pediatric clinic, so it can be a good way to get entry-level healthcare experience.
You might also look into PCT jobs at hospitals, which often do not require paying for training and instead you are trained on the job. Hospital experience can be good for PA school, as you often see a greater variety of disease presentations and procedures performed in a hospital setting than in an outpatient clinic setting. Again, this is just my experience and you still gain a lot of valuable experience as a medical assistant!
I hope this is helpful. I wish you all the best of luck on your PA journey!
Thank you for your question.
I can only speak to my experience and i do not know all the intricacies of your situation, but I would say it would be worth it to get the certification IF you cannot find a medical assistant job that DOES not require certification.
I know in my area, there are some medical assistant job postings at various hospitals that are "non-certified", meaning that you do not need be certified as a medical assistant to work, but I am unaware of the regulations where you are in California. I would recommend researching for medical assistant positions on the websites of hospitals/clinics in your local area and seeing if they require certification or not. If it is not specified, hopefully there is a contact information that you could email or call and ask if certification is required.
If you are interested in a position that requires certification and are measuring if it is worth it or not, I would say "Yes, if it is not too much of a financial burden." I myself am applying to PA school and can attest that PA school is a HUGE expense and I recommend saving every penny you can. Medical assisting in California will net you around $22/hour (I did a very quick Google search for hourly rates of medical assistants in California), which by some rough calculations , would mean you would cover the cost of the $3000 training in just under 4 months of full-time work, assuming you work 40 hours a week. As a medical assistant, your role will vary based on the clinic you work in, like assisting with splinting in an ortho clinic or assisting with vaccination in a pediatric clinic, so it can be a good way to get entry-level healthcare experience.
You might also look into PCT jobs at hospitals, which often do not require paying for training and instead you are trained on the job. Hospital experience can be good for PA school, as you often see a greater variety of disease presentations and procedures performed in a hospital setting than in an outpatient clinic setting. Again, this is just my experience and you still gain a lot of valuable experience as a medical assistant!
I hope this is helpful. I wish you all the best of luck on your PA journey!
Thank you for giving me advice.
Paige
Updated
Emily’s Answer
Hi there, thank you for your question! I am also on the pre-PA track and I currently work as a CNA. I suggest looking at places (nursing homes, hospitals, clinics) that will pay for the MA program, or similar certifications such as CNA or phlebotomist. The nursing home that I work for covered the cost of the classes and certification and I was able to start working as a CNA immediately after passing the exams. CNA, MA, or phlebotomy are all great options to gain patient care experience and prepare yourself for PA school. Best of luck!
Thank you so much for the reply! How would i research places that will pay for it
Paige
Updated
Julayne’s Answer
Hi, Paige!
Have you thought about checking out classes at a local community college? Many offer dual credit programs for high school students, so you can earn credits for both high school and college at the same time.
Our college has a fantastic medical assistant program that leads to certification, and you can also earn a technical certificate in phlebotomy. You could aim for an associate degree in medical assisting, become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), and then take the phlebotomy certification test with your technical certificate.
Some clinics even let you shadow a certified medical assistant or phlebotomist to help you decide if this is the right path for you in health care.
Wishing you great success in your health care journey!
Have you thought about checking out classes at a local community college? Many offer dual credit programs for high school students, so you can earn credits for both high school and college at the same time.
Our college has a fantastic medical assistant program that leads to certification, and you can also earn a technical certificate in phlebotomy. You could aim for an associate degree in medical assisting, become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), and then take the phlebotomy certification test with your technical certificate.
Some clinics even let you shadow a certified medical assistant or phlebotomist to help you decide if this is the right path for you in health care.
Wishing you great success in your health care journey!