Medical assistants, by law, are not required to be licensed or certified. However, a whopping 90% of these hardworking professionals choose to obtain certification. Most employers like to hire those with these credentials. Some states even require that they be certified to perform certain duties like drawing blood or taking x-rays.Outside of employment opportunities, getting certified gives you a professional edge. It also signals to employers that you take you profession seriously - seriously enough to take it to the next lever. It means better job security and greater career advancement opportunities.
The final advantage of being a certified medical assistant is that it is an accreditation that is recognized by potential employers all over the country. You can't beat that for job security.
Certified Medical Assistants: Education Required
To become a certified medical assistant, you must get your degree from an accredited medical assistant program. The official bodies that a school receives its accreditation from are either the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP).
This is important to keep in mind when you are considering which medical assistant program to attend. Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs) are awarded their credentials by the American Association of Medical Assistants. CMAs must renew their certification every five years. Reputable programs in this profession offer a well-rounded curriculum, which includes but is not limited to, the following: Scientific Classes: As medical assistants (MAs) are highly skilled members of the healthcare profession, they take classes in biology, physiology, anatomy and pharmacology.
Administrative Classes: MAs are an integral part of the overall operation of a practitioner's office. They can be responsible for overseeing everything from client payments to patient records. Hence, they may also receive training in record keeping and office administration, for example. Skills Employers Seek in a Certified Medical Assistant
A medical assistant's duties are many, and what you get up to day-to-day will often depend on what type of doctor you are working for. There are many different things that you will have to handle as an assistant in a medical setting. You will need to have a good education and attention to detail in order to perform this type of job at a top level, as the level of care that you provide is very important to each patient's health.
It can be easy to trivialize the individual daily roles of certified assistants, making them out to be throw away duties of little importance. But the truth is, everything a medical assistant does, certified or otherwise, is aimed towards helping the patient and making he or she feel better in some way. There's nothing trivial about that.
Over and beyond the necessary medical and administrative training, employers seek certified MAs who can multitask, have excellent communication skills and conduct themselves in a professional manner. These traits, along with the training gained from an excellent Certified Medical Assistant program ensures success for those interested in this rewarding career.
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