Medical Assistant Career Boost

Medical Assistant:
Give your career a boost! Get certified.


Someone has just posted a new entry in our Medical Assistant NET Forum.

The message was posted by James.
Subject: Re: Rma exam
Credential or Professional Title: RMA/BMO

Message: I took the RMA exam, and found that it was rather easy. I purchased a study guide, and also used my notes from school to supplement. I scored a 99%. As far as my experience goes, my exam focused ALOT on lab, anatomy, and surgical assisting. Some of the questions were: -order of draw -what tubes are used for specific tests -how many bones/muscles in the human body, diagrams of bones (asking you to indicate the name of a specific part of the bone--e.g. "where is the olecronon process of the humerus?") -diagrams of surgical instruments ("which is the sponge forcept?"), and sterile field questions. Study your A&P, most commonly prescribed meds, surgical assisting and lab notes... and you'll be fine.

I bought J.P. Cody's 'Review for CMA and RMA Exams'. It came with software for practice testing. The questions on the practice test were very similar to the actual RMA (it even comes with the same scoring method used for the exams...a nd gives you insight into what your strengths and weaknesses are). Hope this helps

James


What's the difference between being certified and being registered?
None. There is no difference between the two. Some people/companies say they are certified, and others they say they are registered. It's the same thing! Whoever is registered is also certified.

Why can being certified be a barrier when it comes to employers to hire? No matter how well trained, experienced, and knowledgeable you are in your field -- most employers who hire believe that health care professionals who are not certified are not skilled and motivated enough, or have an attitude problem, and they might not fully meet their needs.

When doctors hire medical assistants the stakes are very high. Their livelihood depends on a well functioning medical office and staff. As they review an application and notice the lack of certified credentials their first reaction is doubt. They wonder, does this applicant:

• have the right training for this job
• integrate well into my office
• keep up with the latest trends
• have the resources to continue to grow

Learn more!
To learn more about educational requirements, and practical tips for handling emergencies, and proper documentation visit Medical Assistant Net on the Web. There is lots of additional "scope of practice for medical assistants" info at that web site.

Distance Education vs. Traditional Education for Medical Assistants

What is Distance Education? Lots of colleges, universities and institutes are offering online study. The possibility of earning a certificate, diploma, or degree without ever stepping into a classroom and never meeting instructors and classmates face-to-face is very attractive. However, earning a Medical Assistant certificate from a corner desk in your living room or home office without might be a bit more challenging than you thought.


How Does Distance Education Work? Distance education is created and delivered online. The student's main tool is the computer and Internet service to retrieve the lessons, assignments, quizzes and tests. Communication tools such as message boards and live chats to share ideas, debate issues, and learn from each others' experiences are also often an integral part of distance education. Access to online research libraries and services are often provided by the instructor, as well as to other relevant websites for further research and self-study. Once a student has submitted an assignment response or quiz the instructor reviews the work via computer and unless there are certain time limits or restraints everybody works at their own pace on their own time and location that's convenient for them.


What Usually Attracts People to Distance Education Programs?
Distance education online is great for those who seek personal and professional advancement in certain areas of existing knowledge and expertise. Learning from home is especially attractive to students who want to be near their family, work on their own, show what they can do, avoid the hassle of the commute, avoid discrimination, and save money on childcare, books, and tuition.


Is Distance Education as Good as Traditional Education?
Distance education is only as good as you make it. It is very different from education provided by experts in a traditional classroom. Partaking in a distance education program requires considerable amounts of self-discipline, computer skills, and Internet know-how. For the computer and Internet savvy student distance education programs are great to learn fundamental theories, or utilize them as refresher courses to solidify and expand existing knowledge. However, many agree that when it comes to novices and vocational training, especially in nursing, the health care industry, and medical assisting field, students should learn their skills in real classrooms. Only here are they provided with the student teacher interaction, realistic case scenarios, and hands-on exercises that prepares them to anticipate, respond, and relate to situations that typically arise at the future workplace, from the simplest to the most complex.

Even today, with all progress made, employers who hire prefer gradates from brick-and-mortar campuses over applicants that finished an online course. Employers feel that they are better prepared for today's jobs because online education relies on new hypothesis and concepts that are not yet fully understood, hardly standardized, and still poorly regulated.

Online training providers, non-traditional universities, and so called virtual colleges who offer distance learning programs have different accreditation standards than brick-and-mortar universities, colleges, and vocational training institutions. Depending on individual goals and outcome, distance education is ideal and sufficient for many, but certain professions require approved training, clinical supervision, and continued professional development.


Distance Education Check List:

Contact leading professional associations and certification bodies and ask about their guidelines to who is eligible to sit for their professional certification exams.

Get in touch with the provider of the courses and ask questions.

Choose only courses that meet your specific educational needs and goals.

Check the school's accreditation status and reputation.

Ask around; seek advice from professionals already in the field, read the newspaper to find out current trends, what employers want, and what the future outlook might be.

Consult the Better Business Bureau and similar consumer protection resources.

Know the good from the bad!

Proper Education Is Key to Success

Types of Medical Assistant Programs:
Traditionally, there are two types of medical assistant programs, two-year career training programs which result in an Associate’s Degree, and a one-year, or accelerated medical assistant programs held at vocational training institutions resulting in either a certificate or diploma that also qualify their graduates to sit for the national certification exams.

Job Oriented Vocational Training:
Vocational training institutions usually structure their programs to be realistic and simulate the workplace to teach their students the skills they need to get a job, stay employed, and advance in their profession.

This includes teaching medical assistant students all administrative, clinical, technical, and nontechnical skills, enhancing problem solving, and teamworking skills, improving their oral communications, and work ethics, refining their interpersonal, and collaborative abilities with others, and reinforcing cognitive traits that they will have to rely on once they are on the job.

Training on the Job:
However, formal training in medical assisting while generally preferred is not always required. There still are many employers, usually physicians in group or private practices, who prefer to train their medical assistants according to their own specific needs.

Because all medical assistants, whether trained in a school, or on the job must be able to efficiently handle administrative, and clinical skills, which includes simple STAT lab tests, running automated office machines, autoclaves, urinalysis, and hematology systems, and pass certain other related competencies, prior volunteer experience in the healthcare field, or prior work experience in a nursing home, health clinic, home healthcare setting, hospital, customer services, or reception desk can prove to be extremely helpful!


eLearning for Medical Assistants -- Modern vs. Traditional Instruction:
More and more medical assisting and related technical career courses are being made available over the Internet via structured distance education programs. The availability of online classes is expanding coast to coast. They promise conveniences that real classroom teaching can hardly provide.

Although their lessons are often well thought out and well planned through use of virtual classrooms, audio visual presentations, and digital collaboration via a personal computer they do not necessarily offer the same quality and quantity of education as on campus classroom instruction offers. Since elearners students are lacking in the direct student-instructor, student-student interaction, and clinical hands-on aspects of the training they automatically miss out in some of the most crucial and indispensable requisite areas of quality career education and training.

Choosing a Program:
Experts in the field always recommend that medical assistant students only deal with reputable training institutions, and choose from respected programs that are recognized and accredited by the RIGHT organizations. Furthermore, they should seek out schools where caring instructors are "real world" faculty professionals qualified (through certification) and trained in the areas of clinical, administrative, and pharmacology lab. Only this way will medical assistant students receive the knowledge and training they need to succeed.

eLearners.com recommends: (Quote) "Knowing something about a school's accreditation can tell you a lot about the value of the degree or course for which you are paying. If you obtain a degree or take a course from a non-accredited institution you may find that the degree is not recognized by some employers or that the course credits may not transfer to other institutions. Understanding accreditation can also help you identify and avoid "diploma mills" (i.e. an unaccredited institution that grants degrees without ensuring students are properly qualified.)" (End Quote). Read their very informational article on Distance Learning Accreditation!

Medical assistant seeking classroom or distance education programs for their training should check whether they are approved by the U.S. Department of Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and check with regional accrediting agencies that have been evaluated and deemed to meet high quality standards.

See TOP Schools! To learn more about educational requirements, and practical tips for handling emergencies, and proper documentation visit Medical Assistant Net on the Web. There is lots of additional "scope of practice for medical assistants" info at that web site.

Medical Assistant Online Training -- Students Must Use Extreme Caution

This is an example:
St. Augustine Educational Services on the Internet AKA St. Augustine Medical Assistant School—advertised on the Internet as an accredited medical assistant online school. Please know that the article reflects only, and solely our own opinion. If there is anything you'd like to share or add to this article, please feel free to do so. Please utilize the "add comment" button below.

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St. Augustine Medical Assistant School!
St. Augustine Educational Services is one example where exercising extreme caution before signing up for medical assistant training is advised. Only because St. Augustine Educational Services is a heavy advertiser on the search engines and ranks high it does not automatically mean that their program is right for medical assistant students educational and professional needs.

St. Augustine Educational Services is a school on the Internet that offers medical assistant classes through distance education online. Cost: $645 -- Non-refundable! Their main web site (one of many) is located at medassistant.org. However, to raise their online presence and recruitment of students into their medical assistant distance education and training program this website is interlinked with a broad network of other websites.

As Posted on St. Augustine's Home Page:"An Accredited, Convenient and Affordable Online Distance Education ProgramYou can now study online to earn an accredited Medical Assistant Certificate in just 6-8 weeks!"

St. Augustine Educational Services describes their online school as a worldwide leader in online medical assistant education and proclaims to be an accredited medical assistant school. In the past their web site indicated that that they were a school in Florida which may lead to confusion since there also is the University of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, Florida (especially with the added image of a building that resembles a southern university campus). However, this reference has now been removed from their web site. See archived web page!

Once visitors start to dig through their web pages and drill deeper into their site they find a page (not easy to find!) that explains what St. Augustine Educational Services really is: St. Augustine Educational Services is a business located in the British Virgin Islands and accredited by a private non-government agency called “The Certification Board”.

The Certification Board through which St. Augustine Medical Assistant School is accredited is based in Owensboro, Kentucky. Anyone can join over the Internet for a one-time fee of $200! Upon completion of their distance education program St. Augustine Educational Services issues nothing more, nothing less than a certificate of completion, which is a simple piece of paper imprinted "Certificate of Completion" with the student's name.

Read more details every student should know
about St. Augustine's classes
before
signing up at: http://www.medassistant.org/Info.html

In Conclusion:

Students who sign up for medical assistant or other allied health professional related vocational training are urged to seek out properly accredited programs that meet national standards, make them eligible to sit for the national certification exams, and lead to higher education, and/or a degree. Over the past years recognized national certification and accreditation agencies and sponsors have become very engaged in providing quality education, professional membership support, and building awareness among educators, employers, supervisors, and students about the importance of attending proper accredited schools and programs.

• National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• American Medical Technologists (AMT)
• American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)

For example, the AAMA's Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), AMT's Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification, and/or NHA's Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and Certified Administrative Medical Assistant (CMAA) certification exams are available ONLY for qualified candidates from properly accredited schools. Anyone with questions can go to these organization's websites to find more information on the certification process.

Unless potential medical assistant students understand the difference between fully accredited vs. the multitude of gray-area, non-accredited, and flat-out illegitimate vocational training programs offered online, they might be in for a rude awakening, when after having successfully completed the course they find out that they have virtually nothing to show for their money and efforts. Even worse: that they are not permitted to sit for any of the professional certification exams!

It is extremely important that anybody who seeks vocational training graduates from courses that are approved and accredited by the RIGHT agencies, such as the United States Board of Education, the US Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the US Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), the US Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and other governmental agencies and regulatory organizations, such as Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

Comments -------------------------------
A comment that was previously added to the article below, but then deleted:
Quote: "I would like to see more info on St Augustine they claim they are accredited by an organization called “The Certification Board” It is totally phony website address at www.acertification.org". Here is the information about St. Augustine's accreditation agency from the WhoIs Name Intelligence, Inc. database. Anyone interested in finding out more details about St. Augustine's accreditation status here is the contact information:

• Web site: acertification.org
• Title: National Accreditation and Certification Board
• Description: Offers accreditation for alternative health programs, colleges and graduates.
• Based in Owensboro, Kentucky.
• Domain Name: ACERTIFICATION.ORG
• Sponsoring Registrar: Intercosmos Media Group Inc.
• Registrant Name: Steve Rusher
• Registrant Organization: American Mystery Cat INC.
• Registrant Street: 358 East Main Street
• Registrant City: Fordsville
• Registrant State/Province: KY
• Registrant Postal Code: 42343
• Registrant Country: US
• Registrant Phone: 270.276.5384
  
  
  © 2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC.

Warning about Diploma Mills

Council of Higher Education Accreditation warns about diploma- and accreditation mills!

In their quest for higher education and training, students and the public in the United States sometimes encounter “diploma mills”—dubious providers of educational offerings or operations that offer certificates and degrees that are considered bogus. They may also encounter “accreditation mills”—dubious providers of accreditation and quality assurance or operations that offer a certification of quality of institutions that is considered bogus.


How Can You Tell the Good from the Bad?

Awareness is the key!
Web page advertisements that contain text, images, seals, and any profound sounding designations that a vocational training school and their programs are accredited containing words such as approved, accredited, accreditation pending, authorized, chartered, licensed, empowered, sponsored, recognized, and registered should be critically examined to determine whether these claims are merely common catch phrases, or the assertions are legit.


For Example:
Credibility is One Important Criteria!
One important aspect to consider when selecting an online learning program is the school's reputation. The school must be honest and credible in their dealings with the public, have a clean record, and should be accredited by the right organization!

For example, here is a "bad" example:

A well advertised Medical Assistant Training School which offers medical assistant distance education and other related training courses online for around six-hundred dollars describes itself as a worldwide leader in online medical assistant education and an accredited medical assistant school. However, it was discovered that this school's webmaster/website manager had lifted substantial amounts of text and images from the Medical Assistant Net home page and featured it without authorization as their own work to support their efforts to enroll medical assistant students into their program. By not having obtained our permission the owner of this medical assistant distance education website inadvertently violated the copyrights of Medical Assistant Net.

Medical Assistant Net had no choice but to record all details and evidence involving these copyright violations and then reported the offending website to the GoDaddy.com and Yahoo! (the school's web hosting service providers) respectively. DMCA agents investigated the case and took appropriate action. Violating someone else's copyrights in such a manner is a punishable federal offense.

Needless to say, with that sort of callous behavior on the Internet this online medical assistant training school's integrity and credibility, as we see it, is totally shot!


Anyone Searching for Quality Education--Use Common Sense!!!
It is always prudent before joining any programs to get in touch with the provider of the courses to ask questions, and to also contact the accrediting organization to find out whether a program is truly legitimately accredited by them, and to confirm the quality of the online training courses.


General Rule Is:
Online courses are seldom accredited, or approved by the board of education unless they truly have met or exceed established national standards. The application process for reviews and approval is tedious and lengthy.

Online training providers, non-traditional universities, and so called virtual colleges who offer distance learning programs have different accreditation standards than brick-and-mortar universities, colleges, and vocational training institutions. Those institutions who went through the process and are approved will always have their program's accreditation status visibly posted on their Web site and online course catalogs.



© 2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC.

Medical Assistants Moving On and Up

Statistics show that over 70 per cent of all working medical assistants are employed in physician's private offices, and group practices. Another large group of medical assistants work for ophthalmologists, podiatrists, and chiropractors, and other healthcare providers.

Despite great time pressures and a very demanding work environment, the majority of medical assistants enjoy what they do. They find their jobs intellectually stimulating, meaningful, rewarding, and satisfyingly paid. Their salary is commensurate with their education, qualifications, certification, and years of experience, of course!

A medical assistant that is certified, and has worked for several years in all areas of the field may qualify for a position as medical assisting instructor at a vocational training institute. Other medical assistant professionals, including military medics, may continue their own education to achieve an Associate's Degree in medical assisting, or go on to become nurses. Yet, others may branch out into social and creative areas to apply their talents as medical illustrators, writers, advisors, translators, or interpreters.

It is through continuing education and experience that the medical assistant learns about different types of careers in the allied health and medical field. The possibility of transitioning, or cross training into a new position is just one of the many career decisions that an experienced medical assistant will eventually have to face. Of course, any career change almost always comes with new and unexpected challenges and set of responsibilities, but at the same time moving on and upwards also ties in with more exciting possibilities, increased benefits, and often more takes home pay.

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If you would like to learn more about the medical assistant profession go to the Medical Assistant NET Web site. Medical Assistant Net is specifically designed to help medical assistant students and their instructors, as well as working medical assistants and their supervisors locate valuable resources and information pertaining to the medical assistant profession.


© 2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Military Medic to Medical Assistant

Military personnel transitioning back into the "civilian" work force have enough skills and knowledge to quickly find employment in today's most competitive healthcare job market without additional training! They have what employers want... However, military personnel seeking promotion and civilian jobs must plan ahead! Do what's smart...


To learn more about educational requirements, and practical tips for handling emergencies, and proper documentation visit Medical Assistant Net on the Web. There is lots of additional "scope of practice for medical assistants" info at that web site.

Medical Assistants Learning Medical Terminology

As with anything in life, persistent study and practice is what makes your knowledge of medical terms stronger. There are various methods, which can be utilised, and all are successful in their own way. The more methods you can use to learn medical terminology, the better understanding you will have. Below are various methods, which can be used.


Aural
There are many software programs, which you can use to study medical terms via the aural method. These programs will have most terms on a CD, which are played with an interval, which allows you to repeat the term. It then gives you the definition of that term. Over time, you will benefit by this study method as it allows you to leave the books and concentrate on the terms, their correct pronunciation, and their meanings.


Internet
The Internet has many online medical terminology dictionaries and resources. The majority of these are free which will allow you to practice effectively. These resources will usually cover all of medical terminology reviews consisting of:

· Prefixes
· Suffixes
· Root Words
· Medical Terms
· Medical Abbreviations
· Medical Definitions
· Surgical Abbreviations
· Diagnostic Abbreviations


Medical DictionariesDictionaries such as the Mosby’s Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health have a dedicated section on Medical terminology. It assists with the breaking down of combining forms, roots or stems, prefixes and suffixes of a term. There is also the option of online medical dictionaries found on the Internet.

Mosby’s Medical terminology is categorised under:

Prefixes Suffixes Roots and combining forms in external anatomy Roots and combining forms in internal anatomy Greek and Latin verbal derivatives Greek and Latin adjectival derivatives Miscellaneous words and combining forms.


Flash/Cue Cards
One of the best methods of learning terminology is to use Flash cards, which has the term on one side and the definition on the other side. There is software, which will allow you to enter your own terms and definitions and will work based on random selections.


Writing the term down
After some time, the student will be able to recognise enough terms and their definitions to begin writing them down. Another person calling out either the term or the definition can assist via this method. The student is then able to recall their medical terminology knowledge. This is one of the best methods as it allows tests to take place.


Anatomical specificAnother method is to select an anatomical part of the body and write down or verbalise as many terms pertaining to that part of the body. This will enhance your body specific knowledge greatly.


Contributed with permission by author: Luis del Valle
UniversalClass.com Student: Basics of Medical Language and Terminology

Avoiding Medication Errors in a Medical Office

Definition of a medication error:
Medication error is an avoidable mistake in the administration of a medication. The error can produce, or start the action of, harm to a patient whiles the medication. Medication errors are a common cause of malpractice claims against physicians. Factors that can play a role in medication errors are: not knowing about patients' allergies, other medicines they are taking, previous diagnoses, and lab results; poor handwriting on the part of the prescribing person, confusion between drugs similar names; misuse of zeroes and decimal points; using inappropriate abbreviations; interruptions when preparing medicines; unclear verbal orders; and failure to follow policies.

How medication errors can be avoided:
1. Always clarify an order if not readable, not a correct dosage, not a correct route.
2. Check the 5 rights of medication administration when administrating medication. Clarify orders if there is any question about the order; never assume it is correct just because a physician wrote the order.
3. Check with the formulary on alike or sound drugs.
4. Provide both the generic and brand name in communications of drug orders.
5. Write the purpose for the medication on the prescription.
6. Provide patients with documentation about their medications.
7. Write in block letters, using upper-case (not cursive).
8. Avoid use of abbreviations and Latin directions for use (e.g., q.i.d., b.i.d.), and instead write it out, e.g., four times a day, twice a day.
9. Use a leading zero if a number is less than one (0.1), and don't use a trailing zero after a decimal (5.0).
10. Prescriptions should include: date, drug name, dosage, route of administration, frequency of administration, and signature and professional designation of authorized prescriber.
11. PRN orders should indicate a specific time interval.
12. Orders written by medical students (including sub-interns) should be countersigned by an authorized prescriber.
13. Include all known patient allergies in admission and transfer orders. The designation "no known allergies" should be used as appropriate.
14. Use only approved abbreviations.
15. Follow institution approved medication protocols.
16. Medication orders sheets should have the patient's name and other identification such as patient ID #, date of birth.
17. Orders for medication should include: date and time ordered, drug name, dosage, route of administration, frequency of administration.
18. An existing order may not be corrected, altered added to, or modified in any way. If change is necessary, the order must be discontinued and a new order written by the authorized prescriber. When discontinuing a medication, the prescriber should write the name of the drug being discontinued and not an order number.
19. The registered nurse (RN) is responsible for checking orders transcribed by a non-RN for accuracy. The RN initials or countersigns the signature of the non-RN transcribing the order as part of the verification for accuracy.


Contributed with permission by author:
LEIGH ANN TOVAR, Nursing Student (LPN)
UniversalClass.com Student: Basic Concepts of Pharmacology

Avoiding Medication Errors--Make it Your Own Personal Goal

The Internet is a powerful media. Newly published articles about medication errors serves as a vehicle to build renewed and additional awareness that more than one third of the medication errors that occur in the US involves patients 65 years, and older! I had already written about this issue in 2003 to promote awareness, and call for greater care among medical assistants, who dispense medications to patients in the medical office, or a clinic where they work.

I said it then, and I say it again: when it comes to medical assistants dispensing and administering medications in the medical office, they don't have to be nervous about it, but MUST be properly trained, and know the rules and laws to do so. They must stay within their professional scope of parctice, and be responsible, and fully accountable every step of the way.

However, not only proper training, and supervision by a licensed physician, but also awareness of why medication errors happen seems to be the key to implement medication safety, and proper patient care. The most common causes of medication errors are:

1. When medications are prescribed, such as ordering medications that are contraindicated, antagonistic, or the wrong dose.

2. When medications are dispensed, such as pouring the wrong dose, or wrong drug.

3. When filing errors occur, such as pulling the wrong file, using the wrong patient's chart during the office visit, loosing, or misfiling a report.

4. When laboratory work is ordered, such as not requesting needed lab tests, making mistakes on the lab requisition slip, failing to notice that the lab performed wrong test, missing errors, or not reporting abnormal values promptly.

5. Errors in communicating with patients, such as not explaining how to take medications, or failing to make sure the patient understood all instructions.

6. Errors in communicating with other healthcare providers in different settings, especially when hospital referral, and discharge letters are not sent, or remain unfiled.


REMEMBER: these are only the most common causes for medication errors, and there is no single cause for the problem--and no single solution either. It is very important that every healthcare provider, doctor, pharmacist, nurse, and medical assistant realizes the importance of medication error detection, reporting, evaluation, and prevention, and each working professional makes preventing errors their own personal goal!

If you have any comments, please do not hesitate to post them here!


© 2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

A Word of Caution Before Signing up For Distance Education and Training

Distance education and online training over the Internet fills a vital gap in the education field for non-traditional students, and provides e-learners with convenience, flexibility, and the ability to study anywhere, any time without being on campus. The majority of the students that seek training through virtual schools online are around 35 years old, work at full-time jobs, and two-thirds have family responsibilities. Important is to realize that online programs are not always accredited or legit.

Internet Scams
The Internet is known for many different types of scams. Sometimes, if not careful, the certificate or diploma distance education learners receive is not even worth the paper it is printed on and the time and money invested was wasted. Online training providers, non-traditional universities, and colleges who offer virtual and distance learning programs have different accreditation standards. It is important to recognize the difference between legitimate and fully accredited vs. illegitimate and non-accredited correspondence schools before signing up for any distance education courses or programs.

© 2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

Finding Employment after Externship

In Yahoo! Health Groups for Medical Assistant Students and Graduates
a member wrote:

> Getting a little anxious about finding employment after externship?
> When I signed up for this (medical assisting vocational training) program,
> there was a list of all the jobs I'd be "qualified" for: medical technologist,
> pharmacy tech, among others.
> Well, I have yet to see an ad for a pharmacy tech that
> doesn’t require a graduate of a pharmacy tech program (not MA)
> unless you want to work for a grocery store pharmacy for 7.00
> an hour. Same for the medical tech, this program just doesn't
> seem to qualify me for what they said it would....

===============================================

Having been a student once myself, and having been in the same position, having heard similar promises, having seen similar lists at my school, and having read similar wanted ads in our local newspapers, I can relate very well to this medical assisting student's fears and concerns. I don't think that there is something wrong with those feelings, neither do I think, that there is something wrong with the list of other related job opportunities that were posted at the school. I do believe, however, that there probably is a miscommunication, misunderstanding, or misconception about HOW medical assistants can get into these related allied health position once they graduated and joined the job market.

In looking back over the years, based on what I along with my fellow classmates went through, what I have experienced as a medical assisting instructor, and what I have learned through my online work, I realize now, that there always seems to come a point in every MA student's life, where they suddenly realize, that the initial excitement of learning their new skill is wearing off, and reality suddenly hits. Interestingly, one can almost predict this point precisely. It usually happens around three months prior to starting the externship, and then once again upon graduation. Part of these student's worry is the realization that once the course ends they will have to leave the security of the classroom and do something about their career. They dread the thought of having to be "out there" in this big ugly world competing with others in the field grasping every opportunity to climb the ladder of success, whether it is in medical assisting or a related field. This truly can be a frightening and troublesome thought to some, especially if they have to also consider the people around them, their expectations of them, and the heap of student loans that then must be paid back.

However, medical assistant students should not be troubled, nor discouraged. They are indeed entering into a highly rewarding field with MANY MANY opportunities. Those who are serious about their career, and remain focused on their goals will succeed, and only those who get overly frustrated and give up as a result will fail. It's survival of the fittest, not only in the medical assisting field, but everywhere. Everybody wants to get ahead, land more rewarding positions, and take home more pay! It is a given, that new graduates without experience on the job can forget to be hired into closely related, better paying positions advertised in the newspaper right from the start. The better paying jobs, and the willingness of employers hiring a medical assistant into a related, but different job must be earned. It is, however, possible!

One proven way for medical assistants to land jobs in a related allied health positions, such as becoming a medical secretary, medical records technician, medical data assistant, medical billing and coding clerk, medical transcriptionist, phlebotomist, pharmacy aides and technicians, physical therapist assistants, ophthalmology assistant, Licenced Practical Nurse (or LVN), hemodialysis/dialysis technician, nursing assistant, surgical assistant, medical laboratory technologist or technician, medical translator, medical illustrator, scientific writers, military medics, veterinary assistant, dental assistant, EMT, or whatever the goal is, is by actively seeking out avenues of expansion through additional training, taking on higher responsibilities on the job, and continued leaning and education.

Medical assistants whose goal it is to transition into other allied health and medical care related postitions must start by developing a career plan, and refining career goals early on in the game, and then follow through by demonstrating that they are serious about their career. Undoubtedly they must seek every opportunity to learn additional skills, and make many necessary adjustments throughout the course of their working career. They must remain focused, flexible, interested in taking on responsibilities in all areas and skills, especially in those areas that will look good on their work history, that they can put into their resume, and that will give them something they can take with them when they change jobs.

Through hard work, pursuing learning goals, becoming certified, continuing education, and maintaining professional relationships medical assistants can pave their way to transition or cross over into those related other health care jobs that the school has posted, and are advertised in the newspaper. If you are a medical assistant reading this, chances are it is something you already knew! Please feel free to comment.


©2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

True, or Not? A Medical Assistant Will Not Get Sued...

I am wondering, have you ever heard a similar statement from one of your colleagues: "A medical assistant can't get sued if something happens, because the doctor is responsible." Indeed, I have overheard this being said numerous times in the past, and I am always baffled by how widely spread and accepted this false belief seems to be!


Nothing could be further from the truth!

I am not sure; of those of us who attended law and ethics classes during our training, an integral part of the medical assisting curriculum, how many truly ever got a true grasp on the tort and negligence, and superior respondeat lessons. Nevertheless, one thing is undoubtedly true: although we, as medical assistants are dependent practitioners who work under the direct supervision of the physician, there ARE laws that affect us and we will all be held responsible for our own mistakes! We don’t have to cause severe injury to face a serious law suit as a consequence of our actions, or failure to act.

It is the law, that medical assistants when providing patient care have to remain within their limited scope of practice; if they don't, and a mistake happens that injures a patient, they may face a serious malpractice lawsuit, especially if it can be shown that they acted outside the professional norm, and their specific scope of practice!

The same rule applies to medical assistant students, who cannot, for example, blame their instructor, or the attending supervising nurse, if something goes wrong. Although every student must be taught and supervised properly, if a student causes harm to another person, then chances are good that the instructor, as well as the student will be named in the ensuing malpractice law suit, and both will be held responsible for their negligence and any mistakes.

Therefore, medical assistant volunteers, students on their externship, as well as practicing medical assistants, should carry their own professional malpractice and liability insurance rather than taking their education and experience for granted. After all, no matter how deeply caring and careful we are, mistakes CAN happen!


Learn how to evaluate your professional malpractice insurance policy! But first, if you care to leave a comment, please feel free to do so now.

©2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

Hidden Pitfalls of Taking an Online Course

The success of health care professionals depends on their ability to stay abreast of the medical and scientific changes. With our modern society's busy schedules and fast lifestyles distance education over the Internet provides adult students with the convenience, flexibility, and the ability to study anywhere, any time without being on campus. Also, more and more students in remote areas are looking toward web-based courses to supplement or advance their education. However, just because a course is offered online and requires a fee to sign up doesn't automatically mean the program is accredited, even if the provider claims it is. Often, the certificate or diploma e-learners will receive upon successful completion of an online course is not even worth the paper it is printed on.

A Simple Word of Caution
The Internet serves as a great information resource and education portal, but at the same time, it also is the perfect breeding ground for different types of scams. It is important that potential students recognize this, and understand the difference between fully accredited vs. illegitimate and non-accredited programs. If not, then the e-learner might be in for a rude awakening in the end, when after successfully completing an online course they find out they have nothing to show, and are not permitted to sit for any national certification examinations.

Rule of thumb is: online courses are seldom accredited, or approved by the board of education unless they truly have met or exceed established national standards. The application process for reviews and approval is tedious and lengthy. Online training providers, non-traditional universities, and so called virtual colleges who offer distance learning programs have different accreditation standards than brick-and-mortar universities, colleges, and vocational training institutions. These institutions who went through the process and are approved will always have their program's accreditation status visibly posted on their website and online course catalogs.

What are the Courses to Look for?
E-learners should be careful to choose courses that meet their individual educational needs to ensure that they don't waste their money and time. Some just need a refresher course for personal and professional enhancement and a low cost, non-transferrable, non-accredited course will do just fine. Others may need proper vocational training to receive a much desired promotion, or to achieve specific educational goals that will allow them advance into a new position or career. Then it is vitally important that these individuals graduate from courses that are accredited not just by any, but by the right organization, such as, for example the U.S. Department of Education, Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), or the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

But How Can You Tell the Difference?
Awareness is the Key! Web page advertisements that contain text, images, seals, and any profound sounding designations that a vocational training school and their programs are accredited containing words such as approved, accredited, accreditation pending, authorized, chartered, licensed, empowered, sponsored, recognized, and registered should be critically examined to determine whether these claims are merely common catch phrases, or the assertions are legit. It is always prudent before joining any programs to get in touch with the provider of the courses to ask questions, and to also contact the accrediting organization to find out whether a program is truly legitimately accredited by them, and to confirm the quality of the online training courses.

What are your past experiences with online distance education courses? Please post your comments!


©2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

Reducing Distress in Children During Venipuncture

Put your heart in what you love!

When it comes to pediatric patients undergoing venipuncture, it should be every phlebotomist's top goal to reduce these children's fear, pain, and distress. Almost all children have a natural fear of needles, but studies show that age is a significant factor in how they behave, their level of distress, fear, and perception of pain.

When a child's level of distress in anticipation of the venipuncture procedure is on the rise, it can be a rather difficult task for the phlebotomist and parent to make the blood collection process go over smoothly! It should come as no surprise that the use of physical restraint, such as the child being placed on the parent's lap, and tightly held down, will only add fuel to the fire, and increase the child's negative response and psychological suffering.

Physically restraining a fearful child during the venipuncture procedure is in no way an ideal situation and could be a disaster in the making! Rather, when dealing with a fearful child, it is best to try to control fearful rejection and manage defensive behavior through parental coaching, distraction, and positive reinforcement.

Distraction during painful procedures were proven to serve as an effective means of intervention. Therefore, a considerate phlebotomist will proceed by incorporating gentle touch and speaking in a soft voice while coaching, distracting, and comforting the upset child. Toys and sounds can also be effective and practical means to reduce a child's fear, and this, in turn, will also ease the parent's anxiety. Parents should also be encouraged to participate in the preparation of the child in a meaningful manner. It has a positive impact on the child if the parent remains cool, calm, and collected, uses encouragement, positive reinforcement, and appropriate distraction techniques. The parent's location, i.e. where the parent is in the room in relation to the child, can also make a significant difference when it comes to gaining the child's trust and cooperation.

Interestingly, although the above mentioned is a very simple approach to greatly reduce a child's distress, and the parent's and phlebotomist's anxiety and stress during venipuncture, it is not always routinely used everywhere there is blood to be drawn! If you are among those phlebotomists who want to grow personally and professionally, and learn how to better handle such and other challenges related to drawing blood from children and adolescents visit NBCI PubMed!


©2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

Safe Communication with Non-English Speaking Patients?

Today I observed yet another very interesting situation. While I was seated with my son in our pediatrician's waiting area I noticed that some of the patients also waiting to be seen by the doctor on that day seemed to be of Hispanic descent. As waiting mothers and fathers and their children were interacting with eachother they were speaking in Spanish to eachother.

Since the Hispanic population here in our corner of New England is ever increasing, I was not particularly surprised. However, having been with this pediatricians group for years, and knowing that there isn't a single staff member in this office that's of Hispanic descent, I couldn't help but wonder how their medical office staff might be handling the ethical and legal obligations of adequate patient-doctor interaction and interpersonal communication with their Hispanic patients without a bilingual staff member or interpreter aboard.

This situation is by no means new to me. More and more Spanish speaking patients are being seen by our doctors due to the large number of Hispanic families. What's interesting is, that I once have worked for a physician who felt that it was the patient's responsibility to make sure they bring along their own interpreters, such as a family member, to translate during their appointments. In many cases this was another family member, often a child (!!!), a neighbor, or friend, which caused me to question whether this was risky not only for the physician, but equally for the patient as well.

Personally, I do not agree with such an approach. In my opinion, only a trained person that is proficient in interpersonal communication, and proper knowledge of the foreign language, medical terminology, and health care related issues should be utilized to communicate and translate between physician, patient, and medical office staff. Otherwise, when you allow an untrained person, such as a family member, friend, or neighbor to come in and translate during a medical interview, you accept the risk of communication errors during such ad hoc interpretation and a chance on breaching confidentiality laws.

I take proper interaction, precise communication with patients, and patient confidentiality very serious. Proper communication plays a key role in properly diagnosing, treating, and caring for patient's needs. If Spanish, or any other foreign language, is the preferred language, or only language, of a patient who is seen in a medical office, then not having a bilingual staff member, or a trained translator available puts everybody at risk, and possibly the patient into harm's way.

Granted, ultimately it is the physician's responsibility to properly communicate with the patiens, but we, as the medical assistants, are also affected by with this unique dilemma of not being able to meet our responsiblities toward the patients unless we can communicate with them properly, and maintain confidentiality. As responsible and concerned health care professionals we sould keep in mind that trained translators have ethical and legal responsibilities regarding the physician's obligations toward the patients, where as a patien's family member, friend, or neighbor doesn't. Therefore there should be no question in any physician's and medical office staff member's mind that having a bi-lingual staff member available to translate, or utilizing one of the many available professional medical translation services to communicate with non-English speaking patients is the safest policy, and simply the right thing to do!!!


How is this situation being handled in your medical office or clinic where you work? Please comment!


©2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

Disposal of Expired Medication Samples

Today I was contacted by a medical assistant colleague who is taking my Basics of Pharmacology course at UniversalClass.com to brush up on her pharmacology knowledge.

In her email she states that her medical office is having a problem with disposing of their expired medication samples. They used to dispose of the out-dated medications by flushing them down the toilet, but now they received a letter from the hospital and the county informing them that flushing is no longer allowed; something about the medications being found in the water supply.

The office found out that only very few pharmaceutical reps are willing to take the expired medications back and the local pharmacies will only take back "controlled" medications. The medical assistant writes, that they feel that they have no other choice, but to limit the amount of samples they accept from the reps to avoid winding up with expired samples. They also try to make sure that the samples the reps leave on their shelves will not expire too soon, i.e. will be good for about one year.

Does anyone have suggestions, especially on disposal? Please add your comments!!!


©2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

Drug Sales Rep Brush-off

Today, while at the optical shop where several ophthalmologists and their assistants are working diligently to serve their customers and patients, I observed one of the employees answering the ringing phone, exchanging a few brief words with the person who had called and then hanging up with an audible "clank" as the receiver hit the phone's cradle. I thought I heard her say: "No thanks, we are all set!" as she hung up. The same instance she was hanging up the phone she gleefully swung herself around toward me and she declared prouldly: "Boy, that felt really good!" I didn't know what she meant and so I politely asked what she meant. "Well," she said "this was one of these drug reps and I just love to tell them off. We only allow those we already know to come in." So, it was having given a drug sales rep the brush-off that had just made her day. LOL.

This scene instantly reminded me of an article I had come across a few years ago while I still was a medical assistant student. The article was titled "Doctors Closing their Door to Drug Salesmen". I seem to remember that the article stated that the number of drug sales reps has grown from nearly 45,000 to almost 88,000 in just two years. This would have been between 1996 and 1998 when I was still in medical assisting school.

I recall that I used this article for an essay on pharmaceutical drugs and drug promotion. I was writing about the pharmaceutical industry and how it had spent more than $16 billion that year to persuade doctors to prescribe their company's drugs. On top of that they had invested nearly $10 billion for free samples of various drugs that were widely advertised to consumers. In my essay, I was trying to highlight any pros and cons.

After my work was turned in, reviewed, and graded, I remember a few words of wisdom provided by my instructor. As she was sharing her experiences out in the field as an RN she mentioned that she had witnessed drug representatives resorting to excessive means in an attempt to ward off competition and win over physicians and their prescription pads. Their goal was to out do generic competition and to maximize sales of drugs protected by patents, which if they were successful, would earn them their hefty commissions.

Upon graduation, I worked in different medical offices, from small private practices to larger group practices and indeed drug reps were calling the office regularly to see when they could come in to promote their products. It usually was us medical assistants working up front at the reception desk who booked them and informed the doctor when they would be coming in, usually during lunch time. Along with their heavy bags full of sample products and brochures, the pharmaceutical reps would also bring a wide variety of promotional gifts, from ink pens and scratch pads with their logo for the medical assistants, to titanium golf clubs and other extravagant gifts for the doctor, especially around Christmas. A delivery boy would already have dropped off the drug company funded lunch for the entire staff and we would set it up in our staff break and lunch room area. Once the lunch was over and the tables cleared, the drug rep would proceed to give a brief presentation, a mini lecture of sorts, to us and the doctor about the product they came to promote.

Personally, I do not like, nor dislike the drug reps and I do not doubt for a single moment that drug reps are professional, educated and nice people with a difficult job. I hope that the doctors they visit during these lunches and lectures are independent thinkers and will not sell out their patients to the drug companies and the products they sometimes "push". Although it may look strange to the patients and be a bit bothersome to the working medical office staff when the drug reps are standing there in their dark business suits on a busy day waiting for the doctor to take a break, or for us medical assistants to finally take them to the back office area where they can leave their samples, I was always thankful for the treats and a well spent hour leaning about new medications on the market.

Regardless, whether I like the drug reps, or not, or whether I agree or disagree with their methods to grasp a foothold in the available territory, it is clear to me that many needy patients will benefit from the medication samples and from time to time, the medical assistants will benefit from the free continued education classes they provide. As far as the free ink pens, scratch pads and lunches, a medical assistant colleague once said to me, that if we don't take them, someone else would. Goes to show that not everybody in a medical office objects to accepting promotional gifts that were funded by the drug industry. She may have had a good point there.


What are your experiences? How do you see it? Please feel free to comment!


©2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

Medical Assistants who Draw Blood

I was wondering if there was a way to find out whether medical assistants across the country are actually performing venipuncture once they graduated from school. It would be interesting to find out how many are drawing blood in-house.

The reason why I ask is because, as far as I know, most medical assistants do not draw venous blood samples. Yes, they do the quick test urines, finger sticks, injections, and throat swabs, but it seems, rarely do medical assistants I know perform the in-office venipuncture blood collections anymore.

It could be that they all work out of offices where there is an inhouse reference lab somewhere on the 1st floor, or a contracted hematology lab nearby, so if there is a need for blood they simply hand the patients the requisition slip and send them downstairs or across the hall to get the sample drawn.

Sometimes there is a phlebotomist who makes his/her daily rounds and takes care of all blood drawing needs. In hospitals, it's the RN or, again, the phlebotomist who obtains the venous blood samples, which leaves medical assistants relieved from this responsibility. To those medical assistant students who were not particularly happy about having to do venipunctures, not having to do them at work may seem like a good thing.

However, not practicing this valuable skill after having been taught so diligently by the clinical lab instructor means that unfortunately, sooner or later the ability to smoothly and properly obtain a venous blood sample will get lost. Yes, here goes the old adage: if you don't use it you will loose it.

So, working medical assistants, take on the challenge and put your heart in what you love. Grasp every chance you can to practice ALL your skills. Practice makes perfect, especially in phlebotomy and venipuncture.


Oh, and don't forget to add a comment, especially about whether or not you have blood drawing responsibilities at your workplace!



©2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

Do Medical Assistants HAVE to Know the Drugs?

Here is a question I received from a visitor through the Advanced Medical Assistant of America http://www.certmedassistant.com web site contact form. The visitor asks:

"Do medical assistants HAVE to know the various forms of drugs, their uses, strengths, interactions, and how they are prescribed? Isn't that the doctor's job?"

I am more than happy to address this important question and try to explain a few related issues, not only because I have been asked the same question a number of times before , but also, because this question will help many others.

There is a reason why part of the vocational training of a medical assistant is pharmacology. Not only is training in pharmacology an important part of the medical assisting curriculum, it is an essential skill required for employment in a doctor's office or medical clinic as a medical assistant.

Safe and effective drug therapy requires more of a medical assistant than simply handing over a prescription, or administering a therapeutic drug as ordered by the physician. Medical assistants working in a medical office, clinic, or hospital are expected to have a basic knowledge of the most common medications. They must be familiar with basic forms and types of medications, prescription drugs (regulated drugs), and Over-The-Counter (OTC) medications, their brand and generic names, and their recommended dosages, and dosage forms. In addition, medical assistants must be able to read and understand medical terms, numerals, and abbreviations that appear on a prescription bottle label as well as on a written prescription or medication order issued by the physician.

Medical assistants need to be attentive to ensure that the physician is aware of all medications, both, prescription and OTC, that the patient is taking, and know the proper way of recording these medications in the patient's chart.

Also, medical assistants are expected to know the purpose and effects of drugs, and the conditions under which drugs may or may not be used (i.e. pregnancy, breast-feeding, allergies, risk), drug interactions, toxicity because they must be able to explain these facts and summarize possible interactions and reactions to these drugs to patients.

Furthermore: The medical assistant (just like any other nursing staff) is ethically and legally responsible for ensuring that the patient receives the correct medication ordered by the physician!!! Because controlled drugs are subject to many laws, a medical assistant is legally responsible for adhering to all related regulations. Therefore all medical assistants must be familiar with and follow federal, state, and legal guidelines, maintain awareness of federal and state health care legislation and regulations, and maintain and dispose of regulated substances in compliance with the national and state regulatory agencies and government (OSHA) guidelines.

The most efficient way to prepare for these responsibilities is to read the package inserts and drug labels that accompany all medications, whether they are drugs from drug company representatives (drug-reps), or drugs ordered by the practice. Another excellent source of information is the Physician's Desk Reference, or PDR, which most medical offices receive free of charge every year and be aware of office policies and procedures.

Anybody who wants to learn more about what the medical assistant should know about drugs and medication orders, can go to MAPharm.com http://www.mapharm.com and read through the many tutorial like web pages--Free of course.

Don't forget to comment on this post. I am sure you have had certain experiences with medications, knowledge of their uses, and their safe handling in a medical office. Please share!!!



©2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.

A Web Site Community for Medical Assistants!

Hello Medical Assisting professionals and colleagues!

My name is Danni R., I am the founder of Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC, and the creator and maintainer of a number of top ranking web sites dedicated to the medical assisting, medical coding and billing, and phlebotomy profession.

Not only are my web sites well known and highly respected on the Internet, but two of them are a featured professional resource in the Higher Ed McGraw-Hill Medical Assisting Administrative and Clinical Competencies - 2nd Edition book. I am proud to be able to reach out to thousands and thousands of medical assistant students and professionals to inspire and mobilize them to strive to be the best they can be and to help each other to find and utilize resources for their personal development and professional advancement. To reach out even further, and make my services more interesting and interactive for everybody, I decided to create this Medical Assistant Net Blog Log.

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If you are interested in viewing the rest of my work, here are my featured web sites:

1. Advanced Medical Assistant of America
Raises awareness of the medical assistant profession and certification programs and offers online learning resources and an active medical assistant forum: http://www.certmedassistant.com

2. Medical Assistant Net
Career direction and advice for medical assistant students and graduates, online learning resources, and networking opportunities to assist professional growth: http://www.medicalassistant.net

3. Medical Billing and Coding Net
Reference website for medical billing and coding specialists and students offering career and certification advice, learning resources, and networking opportunities between medical billers and coders: http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.net

4. Medical Coding and BillingCareer advice, practice management suggestions, online learning resources, and networking opportunities to improve services medical coders and billers provide to healthcare professionals and providers: http://www.medicalcodingandbilling.com

5. Medical Assistant PharmacologyReview important areas in the study of pharmacology as it applies to situations typically encountered in a medical office or clinic: http://www.mapharm.com

6. MA Exam Help WebsiteEducation resources, test preparation, study notes, and reference material for medical assistants who are preparing for examinations: http://www.maexamhelp.com

7. Medical Assisting CareersExplains related allied health careers that the experienced medical assistant, with additional training and education, may cross train or transition into: http://www.medicalassistingcareers.com

8. Phlebotomy Pages
Informational website for those interested in the art of phlebotomy or phlebotomy as a new career: http://www.phlebotomypages.com




Created by Danni R.
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©2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC. All rights reserved.