6 answers
Jadalyn
Student
Corvallis, Oregon
2
Questions
Updated
492 views
What’s the best piece of advice someone gave you? What is your typical day like? What is the best part of your job?
I'm presently pursuing my CMA credentials through Job Corps training. I wanted to know what it's like to work in any CMA department.
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6 answers
Rita Chuang
Physician
189
Answers
Henderson, Nevada
Updated
Rita’s Answer
When you say you want to work in the medical field, there are several different options so it would be helpful to narrow it down. Do you want to be a medical assistant, physician's assistant, physical therapist, pharmacist, nurse, MA, MAA, or doctor?
If you want to be a doctor, primary care is very challenging. It can be rewarding but exhausting. When I had my own medical practice, I see patients 8-4 pm M-F and 8-1 pm on Wednesdays. Although that looks simple, it is not. I was seeing about 40 patients a day which is another story and too much. I would start my day at 6:30 AM. While I ate breakfast, I would log into the computer to start refilling medications (usually about 20-50 in the AM) and answer patient questions through the portal. I would drive to work around 7-7:30 AM and then look through my day and answer more questions. Throughout the day, I was seeing patients. In between patients, I would refill, answer questions and then review specialist notes, radiology reports, home health notes etc. The amount of notes you sign or review are a lot. We scheduled 1 hour lunch but usually you run late between patients so lunch is usually 15-30 minutes. When we finished seeing patients, it's back to refilling, reviewing consultant notes, answering questions, calling patients with results, etc. Usually I would finish work about 5-6 pm. I work very fast and sometimes patients would complain that I rushed them. It's probably true but I want to go home on time to eat. On Saturdays, I'd often refill prescriptions and again go through the patient portal to answer questions because I did not want my Mondays to start out as a disaster.
I burned out. Like I said, I work fast. I have a friend who is in primary care and I once called her at 8-9 pm to wish her a happy birthday and she said she was lying down and still at work trying to finish writing her charts. When you see a patient, you need to write a note of what happened-patient complaint, examination, your conclusion and what you did. You also need to realize in primary care, most patients don't come in with 1 problem. They have multiple problems and then there is also their maintenance (mammogram, colonoscopy, vaccination, PAP smear etc) that needs to be updated.
When I sold my practice, the new practice had me see about 20 patients a day which was more reasonable. They also shut down the patient portal. Unfortunately, this made patients very upset. They were use to calling in the same day and we would "squeeze" them in. Usually when we squeezed a patient in, my rule was that you were only allowed one problem. Patients were also upset that they could not asked their questions through the portal. Honestly, it's a lot of work.
I recommend anyone interested in medicine to work as a medical scribe. I can tell you all this but until you experience it, you really don't know what you are getting yourself into. As a scribe, you type the notes for the doctor (which saves him/her time). This also teaches you medicine. Remember your hours are reasonable when you scribe for a doctor. If you volunteer, I would go in the same time the doctor arrives to the office and leave when he/she leaves. Imagine you schedule a dinner date with a friend and it's 6 pm and you are still at work and need to cancel. Or imagine that you have a family and they are waiting for you for dinner and you are still at work because you "squeezed" a patient in. These are the things I never imagined I would experience as a doctor.
Also, every holiday when you get together with your family, they will ask you questions about their health or they text you with pictures of a rash or ask questions all the time. When I'm off of work, honestly, I don't want to talk about medicine anymore.
If you want to work in medicine, you may consider a specialty--Cardiology, Dermatology etc because they only need to deal with their one field. Primary care can be rewarding because you grow with the patient but it's often too much and I feel like medicine is breaking down. Something needs to change.
If you want to be a doctor, primary care is very challenging. It can be rewarding but exhausting. When I had my own medical practice, I see patients 8-4 pm M-F and 8-1 pm on Wednesdays. Although that looks simple, it is not. I was seeing about 40 patients a day which is another story and too much. I would start my day at 6:30 AM. While I ate breakfast, I would log into the computer to start refilling medications (usually about 20-50 in the AM) and answer patient questions through the portal. I would drive to work around 7-7:30 AM and then look through my day and answer more questions. Throughout the day, I was seeing patients. In between patients, I would refill, answer questions and then review specialist notes, radiology reports, home health notes etc. The amount of notes you sign or review are a lot. We scheduled 1 hour lunch but usually you run late between patients so lunch is usually 15-30 minutes. When we finished seeing patients, it's back to refilling, reviewing consultant notes, answering questions, calling patients with results, etc. Usually I would finish work about 5-6 pm. I work very fast and sometimes patients would complain that I rushed them. It's probably true but I want to go home on time to eat. On Saturdays, I'd often refill prescriptions and again go through the patient portal to answer questions because I did not want my Mondays to start out as a disaster.
I burned out. Like I said, I work fast. I have a friend who is in primary care and I once called her at 8-9 pm to wish her a happy birthday and she said she was lying down and still at work trying to finish writing her charts. When you see a patient, you need to write a note of what happened-patient complaint, examination, your conclusion and what you did. You also need to realize in primary care, most patients don't come in with 1 problem. They have multiple problems and then there is also their maintenance (mammogram, colonoscopy, vaccination, PAP smear etc) that needs to be updated.
When I sold my practice, the new practice had me see about 20 patients a day which was more reasonable. They also shut down the patient portal. Unfortunately, this made patients very upset. They were use to calling in the same day and we would "squeeze" them in. Usually when we squeezed a patient in, my rule was that you were only allowed one problem. Patients were also upset that they could not asked their questions through the portal. Honestly, it's a lot of work.
I recommend anyone interested in medicine to work as a medical scribe. I can tell you all this but until you experience it, you really don't know what you are getting yourself into. As a scribe, you type the notes for the doctor (which saves him/her time). This also teaches you medicine. Remember your hours are reasonable when you scribe for a doctor. If you volunteer, I would go in the same time the doctor arrives to the office and leave when he/she leaves. Imagine you schedule a dinner date with a friend and it's 6 pm and you are still at work and need to cancel. Or imagine that you have a family and they are waiting for you for dinner and you are still at work because you "squeezed" a patient in. These are the things I never imagined I would experience as a doctor.
Also, every holiday when you get together with your family, they will ask you questions about their health or they text you with pictures of a rash or ask questions all the time. When I'm off of work, honestly, I don't want to talk about medicine anymore.
If you want to work in medicine, you may consider a specialty--Cardiology, Dermatology etc because they only need to deal with their one field. Primary care can be rewarding because you grow with the patient but it's often too much and I feel like medicine is breaking down. Something needs to change.
Thank you, Rita, for answering my question and giving me a better understanding of a day in the life of a CMA worker
Jadalyn
Hi Jadalyn,
I have to answer here, because for some crazy reason, the software would not let me post independently because, it stated, "It looks like this response has already been given". Never seen that before.
Anyway:
I'll just answer one question here this time, to avoid information overload. Just touch BRIEFLY on the other two.
ADVICE: Not just one applies.
No new revelations here:
- One day at a time.
- Work hard [but but don't neglect some free time each week too].
- Never give up.
- Believe in yourself.
- You have more worth to the others and the "system" than you might realize, but don't feel cocky.
TYPICAL DAY: Seeing scheduled patients throughout the day as you were trained to do.
BEST THING: Using the expertise I acquired in treating each patient.
Good luck,
Perry
Perry Zuckerman
Perry Zuckerman
Psychiatrist
17
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Perry’s Answer
Hi Jadalyn,
I'll just answer one question here this time, to avoid information overload. Just touch BRIEFLY on the other two.
ADVICE: Not just one applies.
No new revelations here:
- One day at a time.
- Work hard [but but don't neglect some free time each week too].
- Never give up.
- Believe in yourself.
- You have more worth to the others and the "system" than you might realize, but don't feel cocky.
TYPICAL DAY: Seeing scheduled patients throughout the day as you were trained to do.
BEST THING: Using the expertise I acquired in treating each patient.
Good luck,
Perry
I'll just answer one question here this time, to avoid information overload. Just touch BRIEFLY on the other two.
ADVICE: Not just one applies.
No new revelations here:
- One day at a time.
- Work hard [but but don't neglect some free time each week too].
- Never give up.
- Believe in yourself.
- You have more worth to the others and the "system" than you might realize, but don't feel cocky.
TYPICAL DAY: Seeing scheduled patients throughout the day as you were trained to do.
BEST THING: Using the expertise I acquired in treating each patient.
Good luck,
Perry
Perry Zuckerman
Psychiatrist
17
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Perry’s Answer
Hi Jadalyn,
I'll just answer one question here this time, to avoid information overload. Just touch BRIEFLY on the other two.
ADVICE: Not just one applies.
No new revelations here:
- One day at a time.
- Work hard [but but don't neglect some free time each week too].
- Never give up.
- Believe in yourself.
- You have more worth to the others and the "system" than you might realize, but don't feel cocky.
TYPICAL DAY: Seeing patients with regular appointments throughout the day as you were trained to do.
BEST THING: Using the expertise I acquired in treating each patient.
Good luck,
Perry
I'll just answer one question here this time, to avoid information overload. Just touch BRIEFLY on the other two.
ADVICE: Not just one applies.
No new revelations here:
- One day at a time.
- Work hard [but but don't neglect some free time each week too].
- Never give up.
- Believe in yourself.
- You have more worth to the others and the "system" than you might realize, but don't feel cocky.
TYPICAL DAY: Seeing patients with regular appointments throughout the day as you were trained to do.
BEST THING: Using the expertise I acquired in treating each patient.
Good luck,
Perry
Angel S
UI/UX Design Aspirant
252
Answers
India
Updated
Angel’s Answer
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is to stay curious and keep learning. In the medical field, every day can be different! A typical day might involve patient interactions, diagnosing issues, collaborating with colleagues, and staying updated on medical advancements. The best part of the job often comes from making a positive impact on patients’ lives, whether through direct care or supporting their health journeys. It’s rewarding to be part of a team that prioritizes compassion and skill, and it offers endless opportunities for growth and specialization. Exciting times ahead for you!
William Nwaogu
Construction, CAD and BIM
276
Answers
Lagos, Nigeria
Updated
William’s Answer
There are many things you can work in when it comes to medical field.
You can be an educator, researcher, author, psychologist, laboratory technologist, biomedical engineer, surgeon, optician, cardiologist, gynaecologist, pediatrician, neurologist, dietician, otolaryngologist, oncologist, psychiatrist, nurse or medical assistant, radiologist, physiotherapist, anatomist, pathologist, toxicologist, pharmacologist, immunologist, dentist, dermatologist, orthopedic physician, public health worker, first aider, geneticist, medical administrator, and more.
You can be an educator, researcher, author, psychologist, laboratory technologist, biomedical engineer, surgeon, optician, cardiologist, gynaecologist, pediatrician, neurologist, dietician, otolaryngologist, oncologist, psychiatrist, nurse or medical assistant, radiologist, physiotherapist, anatomist, pathologist, toxicologist, pharmacologist, immunologist, dentist, dermatologist, orthopedic physician, public health worker, first aider, geneticist, medical administrator, and more.
Hi William! Can you give Jadalyn more information about how to find out more about the medical field? Maybe not medical-related, but what is the best piece of advice you received in your career that could maybe extend across other careers?
Sharyn Grose, Admin
Louise Kilduff
3
Answers
Dublin, County Dublin
Updated
Louise’s Answer
Enhanced Text:
The greatest piece of advice is to engage in an activity that brings you joy; it won't feel as much like work.
If an endeavor is worth your time, it deserves your best effort. You should take pride in a task that holds significance for you.
It's normal for most days to contain a sense of routine, so don't be surprised by this.
In my profession, the highlight is the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of people on a daily basis.
The greatest piece of advice is to engage in an activity that brings you joy; it won't feel as much like work.
If an endeavor is worth your time, it deserves your best effort. You should take pride in a task that holds significance for you.
It's normal for most days to contain a sense of routine, so don't be surprised by this.
In my profession, the highlight is the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of people on a daily basis.