What HCE would be a good fit for me?

[jakersm]

I'm running on little sleep. Sorry if this post is hard to understand. 

 

I get my BS this May. I plan on going on a break from school, taking the GRE, working for 2 years to get HCE, and then applying to PA school. I've already take most of the typical pre-requirement courses for PA school (bio, orgo, A&P, etc), my GPA is good, and shadowing can come later, so now I'm focused on choosing a HCE job that I can take up after I graduate in a few months.

 

First I was going to get EMT certified until I read stories online about how that that job market was saturated in some areas. I searched online and couldn't find much in my area at all, but maybe it's because of the time of the year or I'm just not looking in the right place? Then I looked into CNA. I read everything from CNA work is good HCE, to CNA is grunt work and doesn't really count as real HCE. 

 

Honestly, I don't care which HCE as long as it's appropriate for PA school and there's at least some job demand so I can pay rent, even if it's only steady part-time work that I make up with a second non-HCE job.

Any advice/insight from someone who's been there would be greatly appreciated.

[EMEDPA]

what specialty are you interested in long term?

let that guide you a bit:

EM; emt, medic

ortho: ortho tech

critical care: resp. therapist

cardiology: treadmill tech/exercise physiologist

surgery: surg tech

primary care: medical asst.

geriatrics: cna @ nursing home

derm: cheerleader :)

[HighlanderPrePA]

As a dermatology medical assistant, that comment seems a little out of bounds. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but it shouldn't be used to deter someone from the field they may be interested in.

[dndandrea]

Sure, a CNA might sound like grunt work, but there's some involved tasks they handle and it's great exposure to many different medical units. Checking patients vital signs, checking patients blood glucose levels, performing EKGs, discontinuing IV hep locks and foley catheters, and having access to each patients complete medical record are all worthwhile exposure that can prepare you more for PA school than the typical applicant. Some CNAs can blood draws and more in depth procedures.

 

I don't know anyone who would say that CNA is poor HCE, unless they're referring to one that works in a nursing home or goes to patients' homes. It's especially great if you work as part of the float pool that works on every inpatient unit of the hospital. I would say 2 other better options are ER tech and RT, but both require a lengthy education.

[cm7sus4]

As a dermatology medical assistant, that comment seems a little out of bounds. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but it shouldn't be used to deter someone from the field they may be interested in.

 

It was a joke.

 

OP - you may try shawdowing in some areas to get a taste before committing to a job.  Hospitals - like everything else - have their own unique idiosynchracies which many find difficult to work with.  If you have no experience at all, then I would strongly suggest holding off on the decision to pursue PA school until you have many hundreds of hours under your belt.  This profession is mostly tailored for those who have a lot of experience (some schools require 1000s of hours).

[HighlanderPrePA]

I realize it was a joke. That's why I didn't freak out, I simply said "that comment seems a little out of bounds". Personally I value EMEDPA's opinion and just didn't want someone to get the wrong idea. I personally have learned a lot that could be useful in diagnosing skin disorders in primary care from my time in dermatology.

[EMEDPA]

yes, it was a joke. I value derm PAs, and in fact see one myself. the stereotype, however, is that many are former cheerleaders and homecoming queens, especially in practices that focus on cosmetics. as you might guess, many of these practices look for "beautiful people".

[zbritt]

Going through the same exact process right now. I have about 1000 hrs of psych patient care, but I'm taking an EMT class this spring to get certified and hopefully land a job when I graduate in May. Although I'm also going to a CNA info session tomorrow morning to make sure I'm making the right decision. I've found the same exact thing - hard to find ER tech or EMT jobs, CNA or medical assistant seems to have more opportunity. I'm also willing to move almost ANYWHERE after graduation (currently in the northeast) so if anyone knows of EMT jobs being less saturated in certain areas of the US, that info would be very beneficial :)

[ilovelost]

I think many jobs that qualify for HCE are high-turnover jobs so you shouldn't have too much trouble if you are persistent. I enjoyed my EMT experience (not all parts, but most) because you get a lot of great exposure. I worked for a company that will do transfers, but also has 911 contracts, so it was a great blend of acute and chronic medical conditions. It's also given me a chance to see many different rehabilitation and nursing facilities, different hospitals (community, trauma centers, etc.), urgent care centers, psychiatric facilities, and doctor's offices. In hindsight, I'd be an EMT all over again just for the variety of experiences. It is a humbling job, but that's probably how it should be :). 

 

In my interviews I've also had an easy time giving scenarios for behavioral type questions. Stressful conditions? Difficult patients? Teamwork? Got it all! :) 

 

My only regret is I would have liked more practice with certain procedures, such as starting IV lines. Some ER tech jobs will train you. 

[smccccc]

I have to say I did the cna work and yeah it's grunt work but it counts as hce. I worked in a nursing home at first which wasn't the most

Fun , but I did learn a lot of important skills. After a year I got a job as a patient care technician which in my area requires a cna cert. I now work on the medical and surgical Icu at a level 1 trauma center, so I see the sickest of the sickest where I have learned tons and don't do that "grunt work" anymore that you speak of. So I wouldn't really just say no to cna. All cna jobs are different

And still count as hce.