Health Jobs Start Here

Hi Kisha. I have been working as a PA now for over 1 year in an Er. I LOVE it. You can read my profile for more info. Being an MA will give you some exposure to the health field (What did you do before MA?) and therefore prepare you to start a PA program. Regarding PA vs RN...You have to decide what you want your role to be/what type of work you ... Read Moreenjoy. Both are challenging and rewarding and both compensate well. As a PA, you act similarly to an MD. You take histories and physical exams, order tests, write prescriptions, diagnose the patient. You have the responsibility of the patient. Though, you work under a supervising physician, so you are able to consult with MDs if needed (I like this).
As an RN, you are like the liaison between patient and PA/MD. I know the roles of RNs, but I"ll let our RN fans talk about their profession. Feel free to FB me directly for more questions if needed.

Kisha, starting off as a medical assistant if you dont have any experience you will be at a lower pay scale. I would suggest possibly working on call or pt if your making more as a cashier.I actually make more than 18hr but it took years to get over that amount. Now lots of medical orgaization have unions so the pay scale has increased and I am very pleased personally.

Hi Kisha, I started out as a medical assistant/x-ray technician and did that for 4 years before becoming a PA. It gave me a lot of exposure to different disease processes and procedures and allowed me to gain an understanding of the different roles of health care personnel. MA's may not get paid as much (probably true depending on where you work... Read More), but remember that your end goal is either PA school or nursing degree. If you have already started the MA program, finish it, get good exposure and then re-evaluate which direction you want to go. Just so you know there are a lot of MA programs offered by Adult Education Centers and ROP, which are much cheaper if you are concerned about finances and they all teach you same things pretty much. PM if you have any specific questions. Hope this helped.

Hi Kisha – Sorry to hear you’ve been getting negative comments about becoming a medical assistant. We’re not sure how much cashiers make, but medical assistants make between $24,317 – $36,987 a year, or between $12 to $18 an hour depending on how much training/experience you have and where you work.

Another good thing about becoming a medical assistant is that it can lead to opportunities to move up in the future. You can become a lead medical assistant or, if you choose to get more training, you can step into a job with even higher pay like a licensed vocational nurse, registered nurse, physician assistant or one of the many other health jobs out there. (Check out www.HealthJobsStartHere.com to learn more about what some of your options are.)

Good luck completing your training! – Elysha... Read More

P.S. If you haven’t gotten a chance to check it out already, our medical assisting page has information on what the job is like, along with current job postings for when you start your job search: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/job/Medical-Assistant.html

Hi Elizabeth –

Congrats on graduating!

It sounds like the program you are describing is the National Health Service Corps/California State Loan Repayment program, which pays off loans up to $50,000 if you commit to working full time for two years. ... Read More

In San Diego, the first step to qualify is to get a job at one of these dental clinics: Mission Mesa Dental, Ramona Health Center, San Marcos Health Center or San Ysidro Health Center.

Check out this fact sheet for more information: http://www.oshpd.ca.gov/HWDD/pdfs/slrp_factsheet.pdf. Also, here is a link to their main site: http://www.oshpd.ca.gov/HWDD/SLRP.html

Depending on what you are looking for, there are a few other opportunities in California like this one. Here is a link where you can check out some similar programs: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/gettraining/paying#

Good luck! - Elysha

O wow.. Thank you so much!

Eric dont be discourged....you didnt waste your time... my cousin just became a CNA about 6 months ago and is busy working. I dont know where your located but if in the Sacramento area try Eskaton its a SNF. Also try the VNA between the two jobs they are giving my cousin ft and on call position doing in home care.Stay encouraged....

Hi Bryan – Congrats on finishing up your pre-reqs. The two most important things to find out about any training program are: What do I get at the end, and what will I qualify for? To become a registered nurse in California you... Read More’ll need to pass the NCLEX, so make sure whatever certificate/degree you get at the end qualifies you to take the exam. One good question to ask is whether they know how many of their graduates pass the NCLEX.

There are some RNs that are part of this group too and they might have some additional advice. Here’s a link to our RN page so you can look at more training programs if you’d like: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/my/change/x/43. Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions! - Tamara

Hi Bryan I live in Chicago and I attended Everest College and it was the worst mistake of my life. Please dont do it. Everest College/ University is not accredited I studied the Medical Assisting Program but no hopital in Chicago recognizes the diploma or certification I received as legitimate. So if the Everest in Chicago-Merrionette Park isnt accredited I would risk the Everest in Cailifornia.

Hi George – Exciting news that you... Read More’re almost done with your training! It’s really smart that you’re looking for ways to get hands-on experience because it will help you stand out from other job applicants. First, talk to your program about whether they have any partnerships with local hospitals or clinics to see if you can do any volunteering or paid internships. If they don’t, you can still call hospitals/clinics on your own. Even if it’s only for a handful of hours a week, it will get your foot in the door and could lead to a paid position.

Here’s a little more information about finding volunteer/internship positions: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/getthejob/experience. And here’s a link with job listings for medical assistants in case you want to see what’s out there: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/my/change/x/18. Best of luck and let us know if we can help with anything else. - Tamara

Well my advice to over achieve on your externship. Look for extern sites that are currently looking for employees. The goal is to get hired. Also some employers will pay a portion of your college to future your education in the medical field.

Hi Cindy – Congrats on the career move! A great first step would be to get in touch with training programs in San Diego to see if your certificate can count towards your training. We know of programs at Mesa College, San Diego State and Point Loma Nazarene. Talk to the folks at the programs about what they offer to see if it’s a good fit for you. We also have a couple registered dietitians as part of this group, so they may have some additional advice.

Here are some links to find training programs in San Diego — just put your zip code in above the map. Good luck! - Tamara

Dietetic technician: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/my/change/x/8... Read More

Dietitian: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/my/change/x/51

Nutritionist: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/my/change/x/68

Hi Swooshy – Great questions. The job growth for medical lab techs is higher than the average growth for jobs in California, so that’s good news. But, there aren’t as many training programs so you should take a look and see if there are any in your area. Ultrasound technicians on average make more money than medical lab techs, and the growth rate is about the same.

You can read about both jobs as well as find training programs near you if you click the links below. Have you thought about volunteering at a hospital to see if you can talk to people who work in those jobs?

Medical lab techs: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/my/change/x/14... Read More

Ultrasound techs: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/my/change/x/67

Best of luck, Tamara

Ultras to ound tech pays more but once you start working as a lab tech yoiu can work nights poss at a hospital and go back to school in the day to pursue U/S tech. Working in the medical field lots of employers will help pay for you to future your education in the health field good luck and congrats to you.,

Hi Tarsha! Do you have any specific questions about health jobs in California that we can help with? Just let us know. - Tamara

I want to know are you looking for people to work from home I have all the supplies.

Hi Tarsha - We're not an employer, but we do have job listings for all kinds of health jobs on www.HealthJobsStartHere.com. Good luck on your search! - Tamara

Hi Christine: The following links have training programs and job listings for EKG technicians and certified nurse assistants (which are similar to patient care technicians). Just put in your zip code above the map so you can find training and jobs close to Santa Rosa. And if you have any other questions, just let us know. Best of luck! – Tamara

... Read Morehttp://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/job/Certified-Nurse-Assistant-(CNA).html

http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/job/Electrocardiograph-(EKG)-Technician.html

Thank you so much for such a quick response and the helpful advice!! Much appreciated!

Thank you Tamara, i sure will!

Great advice, Matt. Grant, we have RN job listings to browse through here: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/job/Registered-Nurse.html. If you click the red button on the top of the page, you can receive weekly job alerts via e-mail too. Good luck! - Elysha

Hi Assia – Like many health jobs, all three positions you mentioned are stepping stones to opportunities later. It... Read More’s true that some new grads are having a hard time finding jobs in this economy, but registered nurse jobs, respiratory therapist jobs and ultrasound technician jobs are predicted to grow much faster than other jobs in California over the next eight years if that’s helpful. A great way to stand out from other grads is by getting volunteer or intern experience in health: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/getthejob/experience.

Here are links where you can learn more about each position and browse training programs in Sacramento (just put in your zip code above the map). Registered nurse: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/job/Registered-Nurse.html, respiratory therapist: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/job/Respiratory-Therapist.html, and ultrasound technician: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/job/Ultrasound-Technologist-/-Diagnostic-Medical-Sonographer.html.

Good luck! - Elysha

All those jobs are in high demand. However if yoiu think you may want to future your education try doing RN and later you can choose to become a nurse practioner.

Hi Crystal – The short answer is that some caregiver jobs require state issued licenses and some do not. It depends on the job title and the employer. You can check out the different kinds and learn more on our home health page: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/fields/info/Home-Care.html.

For the jobs that do require a certification, you’ll need to complete a home health aide training program.. When you’re looking at a program, make sure to find out if it qualifies you for a license when you graduate. Here is a link where you can find training programs for home health aides all over California: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/job/Home-Health-Aide.html. Make sure to put in your zip code above the map on that page to narrow your search to programs near you.

Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions! ... Read More
- Elysha

Contact your local Nursing Board they will be able to assist kyou.

Hi Marian – You can check out of medical assisting page to browse job postings. Here is the link: http://www.healthjobsstarthere.com/resources/job/Medical-Assistant.html. If you enter your zip code above the map on that page, you can narrow your search to jobs near you. Also, look for the red button near the top to have us send you weekly e-mails with the latest job postings. Good luck with your job search and let us know how it goes. - Elysha

Marian go to the CHW- Catholic Healthcare wesite they are in in of 25 medical assistants.