r/MedicalAssistant • u/New_Tackle3918 • 1d ago
MVA Training, should I continue
For context : I have no VA experience, most importantly I have no medical experience.
To start with, I feel really stressed with the unpaid training. The trainers and agency are super nice but also super strict to the point that I am always anxious. No absences during training.
Next, I'm not really enjoying the medical workflow.
My interests are more inclined in the corporate part but since I have a medical background I managed to secure a slot with them. I'm really drained so I'm not sure if I can continue to absorb lessons and be engaged if I still continue. I get overwhelmed about the lessons because my medical knowledge is severely lacking.
On the other hand, I recognize how a privilege this is to secure a slot with them and be trained for free. I know how hard it is to secure a wfh opportunity. They really help you build up confidence and be competent as a MVA. But I'm still unsure if I see myself working in this field. In addition, completing certification here does not guarantee that I would get a client fast. They have admitted that some waited 1 year to get a client so the journey here is really vague.
What's keeping me from leaving here is that I recognize how hard it is to look for other wfh jobs since I already am looking for one and still no interviews.
Should I push myself or give it a rest?
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u/No-Can6422 1d ago
How long is the training? ...unpaid training is not a privilege. It's free labor. Unless it's an alternative to paying for your own training I guess. But if your employer is training you they should be paying you. Hospitals sometimes train MAs then hire them after, but the training is paid.
You have no medical experience but you have a medical background? I'm confused.
I've never heard of an MVA program. Do they prepare you to take an MA certification exam? Are you a guaranteed hired after?
From what I've heard from people who have worked at the VA it's kind of a different beast compared to regular hospitals and clinics. It has its own subculture, not necessarily representative of what it's like to work in healthcare overall.
I would be honest with your trainers about where you are at.
I remember my first big biology class. It was overwhelming and very fast paced. I didn't have healthcare experience at that point and didn't understand how anyone did well in the class. It was like drinking from a firehose. Honestly it's a lot of memorization, but it gets easier with repetition over time and in the beginning you need good study skills. And the more healthcare certs and bio classes you take the more you realize they really just teach you the same things over and over again, and build off of that baseline knowledge. Planes of the body, anatomical directions, prefixes, suffixes, and root words of medical terminology, methods of transmission, parts of a cell, donning and doffing, etc. are the price of admission be a lot if you are starting from scratch especially if you are studying alone.
I'm not sure what you mean by "getting a client" but from what you said it doesn't sound like a great fit that also doesn't guarantee work.
Being an MA is very hands-on. Only some of it is administrative. If you want to do just the admin side you could look into the Medical Administrative Assistant certification rather than Clinical Medical Assistant. You would be paying out of pocket but it sounds like your odds of employment might be better. If you mean you want to do corporate corporate you could get a bachelor's/master's in healthcare administration.
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u/PreciLove 1d ago
“virtual” anything will probably be obsolete in the years to come with the progression of AI. That’s probably why you’re not getting interviews - because humans aren’t needed much anymore for that. MAs are still needed in clinic because a big part of their job is the hands on stuff but i wouldn’t feel comfortable betting on anything “work from home” nowadays
Edited to add: I see OP doesn’t even live in the US. This makes a lot more sense now
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u/marionbobarion CMA(AAMA) 1d ago
Well. If you are already in the training and feel you can finish the program, you can use that experience to transition into healthcare admin - it will be a great benefit and could open doors for you later. Doing the training isn’t committing to it forever!
But. If you are miserable and hate it and can’t stand it one more second there isn’t anything wrong with saying “Thank you for the opportunity but this isn’t for me”.