If I go to school to become a paralegal?

I have decided to go to school to become a medical assistant.Any thoughts?

• I have decided to become a medical assistant cause I have been told that this will give me some insight on different positions in the medical field. After I finish in only 8 1/2 months (length of program at school I chose). I plan to go back to school to become which ever I decide is the profession for me. Plus this will allow me to be able to work in a medical environment while extending my education. Has anyone ever done this and is it a good choice and will the schooling of a medical assistant make it easier when i go back to school or will I have to start all over? Thank you!

• Answer:

  You're wasting your time and money doing that. Medical assistant jobs are hard to come by, and they don't make more money than CNAs do really (maybe like $1 more an hour, but that's not worth the tuition). The reason most places don't hire MAs is because they either go for CNAs who are cheaper or if they want to spend more money just go on and hire an LPN. You're probably going to wind up stuck with a useless certificate and not be able to find a job. Also, being an MA won't make it easier to change to another medical job, and yes, you will have to start over. If you decide to go to nursing school, the fact that you're an MA will have no effect. Also, you'll wind up taking the same classes over, since certificate program classes don't transfer to most colleges, even if the class is exactly the same. Honestly, if you want to do some experimenting with the medical field, your best bet is to become a CNA. CNA classes are cheap and only last a month or so. They're also usually paid for by the employer if you agree to work for them for like six months or so. The only practical difference in an MA and a CNA is that MAs are usually allowed to draw blood whereas CNAs can't.