By becoming certified, medical assistants can show that they have gained a minimum amount of medical assisting knowledge. Your CMA application must be mailed around three and a half months before your planned testing date, and the application fee is $125 for graduates of training programs accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES. Certified medical assistants are extremely important to our healthcare industry, and they perform quite a few vital tasks. To become a medical assistant in Washington state, you will need to be certified or registered by the Washington Department of Health, Medical Assisting Credentialing. This is a key consideration for anyone working towards a career as a medical assistant. Compared to the average growth of five percent for most other occupations, this growth is very high, which means there will be countless job positions to fill. The work is satisfying, as you are able to help not only patients but doctors as well. National Registered Certified Medical Assistant (NRCMA) is a credential accredited by Nationally Association for Health Professionals and is provided to qualified medical assistants. This is a key consideration for anyone working towards a career as a medical assistant. Because it’s good career sense. 4. After the training program, many people spend a few months to a year preparing for the exam. For certified medical assistants, it is a good idea to take any courses in high school that relate to your career goals, like anatomy and finance. As a certified medical assistant, you will learn how to perform very basic procedures including taking vitals, drawing blood, and preparing lab samples. © print(Date("Y")); ?> EduSearch Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy | Clients | Affiliates |, Guide to Medical Assistant Careers, Schools & Training, Career Overview: Clinical Medical Assistant, Career Overview: Administrative Medical Assistant, Obtain and review medical assisting journals. A Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) is a medical secretary who has earned a voluntary professional certification from the National Healthcare Association. This is followed by completing the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) program from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). Requirement: Completing a CAAHEP Accredited Program, Passing the National CMA Exam Pro: Education is short, only a 2 year associates degree Pro: Finding a job is much easier with certification Pro: You will earn a higher salary and have specialization opportunities Con: You must make an investment in your education, and the exam fee is $150 Most medical assisting positions will require either a diploma (DMAS) or an associate degree in medical assisting services (ASMAS). The BLS’ census studies displays 26,490 medical assistants employed to work in Pennsylvania and earning $30,590 … They basically take over all of the tasks that do not require a nursing or doctoral degree and that nurses and doctors do not have time to do. Generally, medical assisting is not a state-licensed or certified profession. While it is possible to work as a medical assistant with only a high school diploma or GED certificate, most employers strongly prefer candidates who have completed a training program and earned a certification. If possible, it is also recommended that high school students try to volunteer or even get an internship in a clinical setting to start gaining job experience. Test results available within two days of taking the exam. As a writer at Career Karma, Savanna covers a wide array of topics in education, careers, and technology. The certification exam covers a wide variety of subjects that include lab procedures, medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology, and the best way to pass it is to take advantage of the study resources provided by the AAMA. These programs typically include classroom and laboratory training as well as an externship assignment.You can choose from schools that offer classroom instruction on campus, online programs, or a hybrid of the two. As a certified medical assistant you do the majority of clinical work that a registered nurse would do including rooming patients, taking patient histories, drawing blood, administering injections, x-rays, ekg, and more. To be eligible to become a certified medical assistant, you need to have a high school diploma or equivalent. Applying for certification is probably the simplest step, as the application form can be downloaded from the AAMA website. This means that medical assistants do not typically need specific education or credentials to practice in the field. A native of Omaha, Nebraska, she graduated with a bachelor's of Multidisciplinary Studies from the University of Nebraska Omaha. While this may not seem important now, it is something you will want to keep in mind so you can stay sharp and prepared throughout your career. With the right tools and guidance, you can gain the confidence to begin your medical assisting education then pursue your CMA career. Why become a certified medical assistant. A certified medical assistant is a person who has been awarded certification in medical assisting by a professional organization, like the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). This is the first step for pretty much every career. How to Become a Medical Assistant Step 1: Enroll in a Training Program. Employers tend to hire Certified Medical Assistants (CMA), and pay more to job candidates who have been certified… How to Become a Certified Medical Assistant. Look online to figure out what options there are for taking the GED in your state, because it varies from state to state. ... She has been a licensed health care provider since 1998, with work experience as a medical assistant, certified nursing assistant and emergency medical technician. While all medical assistants will have a good chance of finding jobs, that chance is even higher when they are certified and familiar with electronic health records. The quickest medical assistant program is six weeks long but most medical assistant training is three months or longer. You must have at least five years of experience as a Medical Assistant prior to taking the exam. Your first step in figuring out how to become a Certified Medical Assistant is to go to an accredited medical assistant school and receiving formal training in medical assisting. Depending on what program you enroll in and where it is offered, you will be able to complete it in as little as nine months or as long as two years. Usually, a certificate or postsecondary education is enough to become a medical assistant. Below is a list of some of the available certifications and who offers them: The National Healthcare Association offers the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant certifications. Certification comes from the AAMA website GED in your state, because it varies from state to.... 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