Continuing College? Medical Assistant to Nursing School?

I was 18 years old at the time when I decided to go to college to become a Medical Assistant. I became a Medical Assistant and got a part time job as a secratery in the Radiology Department at my local Hospital. After I finished the Medical Assistant program, I decided to further my education to become a Nurse and get my BSN degree-Bachelors In Science of Nursing. I haven't started nursing school yet because I am still finishing my Pre requistaes for nursing. Do you think that I made a bad choice of becoming a Medical Assistant first then wanting to become a RN Nurse? I did take small break about three months before I started my pre requisates for nursing. Does anybody think it was a bad decision that I went right into starting my pre requistaes for nursing right after I became a Medical Assistant? I felt it is the right thing to do. I really wanted to become a nurse and a Medical Assistant. I figure that the education I have as a Medical Assistant I could use as a Nurse?

There is an old adage, that - No education is wasted. Everyone on here will have an opinion as to whether you made a good or bad choice. The truth is, everyone must make the choices which are correct for their life at the time.

Given that, now you have the information to work as an MA. This has very little application to working as an RN, as MAs and RNs perform completely different jobs, with some overlapping health care skills which are common to all health care occupations.

Whether or not your education and experience as an MA helps you as an RN is really dependent on how you use the knowledge you have. An RN in an Emergency Department Trauma setting will probably never use anything learned as an MA which is not repeated in the RN program. In that line it may be easier for that one class, but the long term benefit would be minimal. An RN who works in an ambulatory office setting would, however, often use the MA skills.

Whatever your choices, you are making progress towards your goal, and that is what is important. Good luck in the future!

personally i think it would have been better if you went straight on becoming a nurse instead of a medical assistant first. but theres no point in saying "coulda, shoulda, woulda", just get through th nursing program, so you can enjoy a bit more $$

It never hurts to try a career and keep moving toward a higher goal. AND, its never too late to start a new career. I am over 40 and just started a new one and I bring lots of skills with me. Employers treat it like a new boot coming on board but doesn't require much direction. ITS A PLUS. Work life only gets better as you increase your skills and knowledge.

I think you have made a good choice. You can work as a Medical Assistant while you are in nursing school. You will get good experience and decent pay. Plus, if nursing school doesn't work out, you will have something to fall back on.