AllHealthcare

How did you decide to become a medical assistant? Or, if you're considering becoming one, what's appealing to you about this job?

I AM CURRENTLY DISABLED, BUT PRIOR TO THIS, I WAS A CERTIFIED MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST WITH SPECIALTY  IN OPHTHALMOLOGY.  I WENT THROUGH A SWPECIAL PROGRAM AT UNIV. OF FL. MEDICAL CENTER. I WAS LUCKY THAT MY PARENTS WERE ABLE TO PAY FOR MY SCHOOLING. I HAVE DONE THIS JOB, INCLUDING TEACHING OTHERS FOR THEIR CERTIFICATION EXAM, FOR 25 YEARS. WHEN I STARTED AND WAS NATIONALY CERTIFIED, THE CERTIFICATION OF OPHTHALMIC TECHNOLOGIST,

WAS RELATIVELY NEW.  WE WERE TOLD WE WERE ABLE TO DO MOST ANYTHING, INCLUDING SURGICAL ASSISTING. I DID GET A CERTIFICATION FOR SPECIALTY IN OPHTHALMIC SURGICAL ASSISTING.  NOW, THIS IS NO LONGER "THE JOB" TO HAVE. WHEN GOING THROUGH SCHOOL, SINCE HIGHLY TRAINED, WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT HIGH SALARIES, AS THERE WEREN'T MANY OF US.  THIS WAS TRUE, AS IT IS/WAS A SPECIALTY.  HOWEVER, NOW THE PHYSICIANS ARE SAVING MONEY BY HIRING NON-CERTIFIED PEOPLE AND TRAINING THEM TO DO MORE MINOR PARTS OF THE EXAMS.  THEY DO NOT GET PAID AS MUCH, AS THEY ARE NOT CERTIFIED, AND DO NOT KNOW THE "WHY"  JUST THE "HOW"  OF THE TESTING.  THE TECHNOLOGISTS ARE BEING PHASED OUT, AS WE ARE PAID MORE DUE TO OUR EDUCATION, AND NEED TO BE PAID TO ATTEBD MEETINGS TO KEEP UP OUR CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS.  I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF THIS AS MY CAREER, NOT JUST A JOB. I ENJOY PREDICTING AND DOING WHAT THE DOCTOR WANTS BEFORE HE KNOWS IT, AND WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL TESTS ARE DONE THAT NEED BE, ACCORDING TO PATIENT COMPLAINT/DIAGNOSES. I HAVE WORKED PLACES WHERE I HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO DIAGNOSE, AND TREAT THE PATIENT.  THIS IS WHAT I LOVE.

FOR PEOPLE  JUST ENTERING THIS PARTICULAR SPECIALTY, I WOULD BE REALISTIC WITH THEM, IN REGARDS TO THEIR CERTIFICATION, WHAT IT WILL REALLY MEAN TO THE PHYSICIAN. AND HOW THEY WILL PROBABLY NOT BE PAYED AS MUCH AS THEIR TRAINING WOULD NORMALLY ALLOW, SINCE NON-CERTIFIED PEOPLE, WHO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MEDICINE, ARE BEING HIRED TO PERFORM SPECIFIC TASKS, THUS KEEPING OVERHEAD DOWN, SINCE SALARIES ARE THE HIGHEST PART OF THE COST OF RUNNING THEIR OFFICE, HIGHER THAN THE EQUIPMENT, EVEN, WHICH CAN RUN ANYWHERE TO $40K AND UP!  I HAVE REACHED THE GOAL I SET FOR MYSELF, AND AM NOW CONTEMPLATING RETURNING TO SCHOOL AS HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATOR.  I FEEL RETURNING AS A TECH. ATER ALL THESE YEARS WOULD BE A DISADVANTAGE TO ME, AS MEDICINE CHANGES STRIDES INCREDIBLY. ALSO, I CAN NO LONGER WALK/RUN LIKE OTHERS, DUE TO MY ANKLE AND FOOT BEING CRUSHED. TIS WOULD NOT BE FAIR TO OTHER TECHS IN THE OFFICE, AS I SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP UP PACE!  WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS SITUATION?