Subject: Medical Assistant Training Through ROP

Someone has just posted a new comment in our Medical Assistant NET forum about joining Regional Occupation Program (ROP) for vocational training in California, where high school students are eligible to take appropriate ROP classes, including medical assisting. The discussion thread in our forum is rather extensive with lots of feedback, discussion and advice. The latest message was posted by Kat (from the ip address 66.27.143.33).

Message: Health Care Student

Hi everyone, I appreciate reading the post by "Teach" and providing her insight since I am looking into an ROP MA program (CA) to start medical assistant training in the next six weeks and will help me and my family tremendously. I need to work, have children and I know how to make sure I get the medication labels straight. I understand Lori's concerns in that discussion thread and they are valid yet, RNs are sued, doctors are sued, and MAs need to be competent too. This comes with common sense, an ability prior to walking into the classroom. I had to pass an exam prior to my registration date. EMT's have less training than MAs. I have an MBA, and taken my RN prerequisites yet, moving to California where the clinicals are at 6:00 AM, I can not do that with children who start school at 8:00 AM. MA is my plan B to actually work in my field, and thanks again Lori for your post, and helping me understand the benefits about the MA ROP program. Affordable, fast, and efficient (for those who work hard and want to pass the exams) :). ~ Kat, SMA

ROP typically offers classes on a trimester basis, with many new courses starting throughout the year for California high school graduates and eligible adults. Job training opportunities offered are phlebotomy courses, clinical and administrative medical assisting, dental assisting, various other medical career programs, citizenship courses, High School diploma and GED courses, and more, depending on available resources and faculty at various institutions across California.

---

More at Medical Assistant NET website.

Phlebotomist

Phlebotomists are worthy of our continual never ending thanks, respect and admiration. Not only do they perform dozens of venipunctures per day with great exactness, they are also required to juggle many other jobs.

The Phlebotomist work under the direct supervision of a physician, a medical laboratory scientist, or a lead phlebotomy technician in the clinical areas of a small annexed medical office laboratory, or in a hospital, hospital laboratory, freestanding diagnostic lab, or in a blood bank and donation center.

In our lab they perform so many jobs in fact that their official title in our organization is "Patient Service Rep". I wonder how many phlebotomists among us think that this is an appropriate title?

Some phlebotomists travel to given locations to collect blood samples; for example, they may travel from house to house to collect specimens from homebound persons. After the specimen has been collected the phlebotomist labels the collection tubes and gets them ready for transport to the lab. The samples will be analyzed to help diagnose, or monitor illness and deficiencies.
Most blood tests are performed on anticoagulants whole blood, plasma, or serum. Blood specimens must be collected in the proper collection tubes and containers and in the right order of draw. The collection tubes must also be correctly labeled and promptly transported to the laboratory. Needless to say, blood specimens should be refrigerated until placed in the courier box for transport to the laboratory.

Phlebotomists in California are heavily monitored by the state and must be licensed with the California State Medical Board in order to work as part of the allied healthcare professional team.

Phlebotomists in California have several levels of licensing. Those wishing to work in phlebotomy in California must first complete an unpaid 40-hour internship where 50 successful blood draws on patients via venipuncture and 10 finger/heel sticks must be properly performed and logged. All this must be done before entering the phlebotomy career, because California regulation mandates that you cannot work as a phlebotomist without a license. This rule also applies to medical assistants and other allied health professionals with blood drawing responsibilities in the state of California.