Inspired by the words of a patient, RMA(AMT) Kirstin Lord shares her story to remind medical assistants to be proud of their uniquely important role in patient care.
By Kirstin Lord, RMA(AMT), Urgent Care, Boyertown Pennsylvania.
“Don’t downgrade your title, you are just as important” is what a patient told me on the phone one busy day in the office. Ever since speaking with that patient, that line forever stuck with me and will always be the quote I restate in my mind when the days get tough.
As a medical assistant in Pennsylvania, I face the long tiring days of working in the medical field. There are so many stereotypes in the world based on the title behind your name and although some degrees take longer to achieve than others, I believe that every medical specialty plays an important role in the overall care a patient receives.
Growing up, I had thoughts of being a nurse because of the job duties and salary that came along with it, because money is a big factor in today’s world if we are being truthful. But what they do not teach you in school is that no matter what title you have behind your name, you are just as important. I spent most of my days in MA school saying, “oh I’m just a medical assistant, not a nurse or a doctor,” when a friend would ask if I was going to school for nursing. I’ve also had many people tell me “Oh you’re just a medical assistant, not a nurse, so you don’t know as much.”
But you know what? After hearing a patient tell me that I am just as important, it made me realize a lot in life. My RMA title is important, as is every medical assistant’s title. Yes, it may not say RN or PA on my name tag, but it says RMA and I am just as proud of that. It made me come to the realization that yes, we may only have months of training versus years and our education may not be as “hard” as others, but as medical assistants going through our program it still may have been hard at certain times, and long and tiring as well.
Medical assistants play an important role in taking the patients’ histories, vitals and complaints. We are their first impression before being seen by the doctor, so we make sure their initial care is the best we can offer.
People in the world are so stuck on judging someone’s life based off their education or title and it shouldn’t be like that because everyone’s job has a purpose and is vitally important in the overall success of their field of work.
So, if there is anything you can take from this message, it is that YOU TOO ARE IMPORTANT, and your Medical Assistant title matters just as much. You matter and so does your job, so be proud of where you are and how far you have come.
Kirstin Lord is a registered medical assistant RMA(AMT), currently working at Urgent Care in Boyertown Pennsylvania as a medical assistant. She attended Lincoln Technical Institute in Allerton, PA and has been certified since November 2020.
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