Medical Assistant without certification?

[Student0024]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone has worked as a medical assistant or CNA without going through a formal course or test. I've heard of people getting a MA/CNA position and receiving on the job training, but I wasn't sure how common this was. Please share your experience! 

 

[prepa1997]

 I'm a medical assistant that not certified. I'm going be completely honest with you and say that obtaining a position like this is rare. I started as a physical therapist aide and than became an ophthalmic technician. I used the knowledge I've obtained from those positions to persuade interviewers to hire me as a medical assistant.  Multiple jobs have complimented my CV and I think this is an important component in trying to get a job as an MA without a certification. Make sure you add your shadowing experience and volunteer experience. I've worked in low-income clinics in underserved communities as well so that really caught their eye during my interview process.(Hint: this is something that PA schools also love as well) I also added my GPA and academic achievements so they can be aware even though I don't have a certification I'm a fast learner.  Try not to give up in this process. Go on indeed and start applying to jobs even if says certification required. When I first started looking for an MA job I applied to almost 20 positions and I can say only 2 actually called me in for an interview. I'm in my senior year at the moment and I'd like to say that the jobs I've had have been extremely accommodating with my class schedule. Just be aware that some offices may not be accommodating with your classes so you might have to take night classes if you're in school. Good luck !!

[DiggySRNA]

Just to echo the above. 

I was a MA at an urgent care. I wasn't certified but I was a licensed Emt. Never once worked on an ambulance. I first worked as a radiology aide, then worked as a nursing assistant (cna title is for those who are certified as such), and then I applied to a MA position and was called for an interview.

During the interview they asked if I could do blood draws, give meds, drug testing, Yada Yada Yada, and I said no to all of those skills BUT emphasized I'm a fast learner and willing to learn. Then I related everything back to my resume. You can teach skills but you can't teach someone empathy, and drive. I remained there for 3 years and recently resigned due to nearing being an RN. 

That said, it took months (almost 7)and countless rejected applications at various facilities before I was hired into this position. Jusr don't give up, if you have to take a different entry level position first and then work your way up, then do that. 

Apply to private practices and urgent cares. 

[MT2PA]

It can also be state/facility dependent.  I.e you may have an easier time in a private office with no certification than a large hospital system.  Florida for example requires certifications for nearly everything (MA, phleb, CNA, etc etc) and there is NO way around it.

[prepa1997]

1 hour ago, MT2PA said:

It can also be state/facility dependent.  I.e you may have an easier time in a private office with no certification than a large hospital system.  Florida for example requires certifications for nearly everything (MA, phleb, CNA, etc etc) and there is NO way around it.

Florida doesn't require certifications for MAs in terms of a law aspect. I'm only saying this cause I live in Florida now and would hate for any pre pas to be misinformed into thinking they need a certification.

[Student0024]

2 hours ago, prepa1997 said:

 I'm a medical assistant that not certified. I'm going be completely honest with you and say that obtaining a position like this is rare. I started as a physical therapist aide and than became an ophthalmic technician. I used the knowledge I've obtained from those positions to persuade interviewers to hire me as a medical assistant.  Multiple jobs have complimented my CV and I think this is an important component in trying to get a job as an MA without a certification. Make sure you add your shadowing experience and volunteer experience. I've worked in low-income clinics in underserved communities as well so that really caught their eye during my interview process.(Hint: this is something that PA schools also love as well) I also added my GPA and academic achievements so they can be aware even though I don't have a certification I'm a fast learner.  Try not to give up in this process. Go on indeed and start applying to jobs even if says certification required. When I first started looking for an MA job I applied to almost 20 positions and I can say only 2 actually called me in for an interview. I'm in my senior year at the moment and I'd like to say that the jobs I've had have been extremely accommodating with my class schedule. Just be aware that some offices may not be accommodating with your classes so you might have to take night classes if you're in school. Good luck !!

Thanks so much for this advice - exactly what I was looking for. I actually was on Indeed when I noticed that some jobs only "preferred" you to have the certification. I do understand that it's rare but I will certainly try! 

[MT2PA]

1 hour ago, prepa1997 said:

Florida doesn't require certifications for MAs in terms of a law aspect. I'm only saying this cause I live in Florida now and would hate for any pre pas to be misinformed into thinking they need a certification.

Then that is literally the only thing the DOH isn't regulating in terms of healthcare positions.  It DOES require a cert for CNA however.

[futurepackc]

I have noticed that while applying to jobs without an MA certification, smaller clinics are more willing to take the chance on students that they know are pursuing higher education and are more willing to help out. Also ophthalmic assistant jobs are pretty common and most schools accept that for PCE.

[Student0024]

17 hours ago, futurepackc said:

I have noticed that while applying to jobs without an MA certification, smaller clinics are more willing to take the chance on students that they know are pursuing higher education and are more willing to help out. Also ophthalmic assistant jobs are pretty common and most schools accept that for PCE.

Thanks for the advice!

[Ollivander]

On 9/22/2018 at 8:01 AM, Student0024 said:

Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone has worked as a medical assistant or CNA without going through a formal course or test. I've heard of people getting a MA/CNA position and receiving on the job training, but I wasn't sure how common this was. Please share your experience! 

Target private practice outpatient clinics. I'm currently working as a clinical assistant at an outpatient pain clinic. They have a bias for hiring 20-30 year old recent college grads who are looking to accrue PCE to strengthen their resume in order to apply to MD, DO, PA, NP, PT, or OT schools. They realized it's easier to train non-certified MAs to do things the way the physicians want things done instead of overpaying certified MAs to do it the way they were taught instead of the way the physician prefers.

I had to apply to 183 jobs across 6-8 different states in order to get the job I have now. It took a couple months to land this job, but I'm glad because I'd have never gotten the wide scope of experience I have now. I'm doing a lot of things that NPs, PAs, scrub techs, RVTs, or radiology techs should be doing but my state doesn't require certifications upon hire unless you work for hospitals.

Avoid hospitals. They require bullcrap certifications for everything. It's ridiculous. Target outpatient clinics. Search for keywords on Indeed and other job websites such as Ziprecruiter, LinkedIn, Google, etc. Again, target outpatient clinics and private practices. More times than not they won't require a certification. 

[Student0024]

14 hours ago, Ollivander said:

Target private practice outpatient clinics. I'm currently working as a clinical assistant at an outpatient pain clinic. They have a bias for hiring 20-30 year old recent college grads who are looking to accrue PCE to strengthen their resume in order to apply to MD, DO, PA, NP, PT, or OT schools. They realized it's easier to train non-certified MAs to do things the way the physicians want things done instead of overpaying certified MAs to do it the way they were taught instead of the way the physician prefers.

I had to apply to 183 jobs across 6-8 different states in order to get the job I have now. It took a couple months to land this job, but I'm glad because I'd have never gotten the wide scope of experience I have now. I'm doing a lot of things that NPs, PAs, scrub techs, RVTs, or radiology techs should be doing but my state doesn't require certifications upon hire unless you work for hospitals.

Avoid hospitals. They require bullcrap certifications for everything. It's ridiculous. Target outpatient clinics. Search for keywords on Indeed and other job websites such as Ziprecruiter, LinkedIn, Google, etc. Again, target outpatient clinics and private practices. More times than not they won't require a certification. 

Interesting! So no hospitals. I feel like everywhere I've looked,  primary care offices are affiliated with a large hospital. Still try for this or avoid d/t the affiliation ?

[mhmnguyen]

I agree with the posts above, I recommended looking into private practice clinics because they are more willing to hire medical assistants without certification. Before I started working as a medical assistant at a pain management clinic, the only compensated health care experience I had was as a scribe at an emergency department. During my interview, I mentioned that I would be able to apply the skills I acquired as a scribe (the ability to chart, multi-tasking, familiarity with medical terminology) to this position. In addition, I stated that I am a fast learner and able to apply the knowledge I had from undergraduate courses as well. Most clinics are just looking for an individual who will work hard, be a team player, and is personable in terms of getting along with staff and being an advocate for the patients.

[Student0024]

7 hours ago, mhmnguyen said:

I agree with the posts above, I recommended looking into private practice clinics because they are more willing to hire medical assistants without certification. Before I started working as a medical assistant at a pain management clinic, the only compensated health care experience I had was as a scribe at an emergency department. During my interview, I mentioned that I would be able to apply the skills I acquired as a scribe (the ability to chart, multi-tasking, familiarity with medical terminology) to this position. In addition, I stated that I am a fast learner and able to apply the knowledge I had from undergraduate courses as well. Most clinics are just looking for an individual who will work hard, be a team player, and is personable in terms of getting along with staff and being an advocate for the patients.

That's awesome that you say that - I'm currently a scribe in the ED so I can definitely share my experience and relate to you. I love scribing, but I want to get a little more hands on/patient care experience. However... I don't really want to be a CNA and I don't really want to spend money and time on a certification. So MA would be perfect. I'll start applying. Thanks for sharing!!

[Ollivander]

On 9/26/2018 at 11:16 AM, Student0024 said:

Interesting! So no hospitals. I feel like everywhere I've looked,  primary care offices are affiliated with a large hospital. Still try for this or avoid d/t the affiliation ?

I got all of my job interviews through Indeed or LinkedIn. From those that I've talked to at my last interview, the only girl that had as much hands-on experience as I did worked at a pain clinic as well. That seems to be the case for @mhmnguyen as well. Maybe do some research and find private pain clinics in your area and shoot them an email with your resume and inquire as to whether they have any openings for a medical/clinical assistant. I'd do the same thing with primary care offices. I'm sure some are affiliated with hospitals, but some won't be. I'd look online throughout your state honestly just to see what's out there and available. True hands-on patient care experience where you're doing things most MAs don't do is going to stand out to admissions committees and be talking points in one on one interviews.

As for the required vs preferred on Indeed and LinkedIn, I applied to all clinical assistant and medical assistant jobs regardless of whether or not a certification was required. The worst answer you can get is a no. Don't spread yourself too thin. Apply to lots of jobs even if you think they're not willing to hire you because if they have a lot of turnover they will overlook the requirement for a MA certification if they're a private practice. A hospital will not. Hospitals suck. Avoid them if no other reason than you will not get as much relevant patient care experience and learning opportunities that will prepare you for PA school. Depending on the physician(s) you're working with, you could have ample learning opportunities at a private practice doing things lots of MAs normally wouldn't.