Medical Assistant
A medical assistant is a health care provider who is tasked to aid medical professionals such as medical doctors and registered nurses. The responsibilities that such an assistant would undertake often includes both administrative and clinical duties that are assigned to them by their superiors. They can be found in private and public hospitals and clinics as well as other medical facilities that would require their services. They are able to provide the kind of assistance necessary in order to assure that the care of patients is constantly provided and that the operations of the facility they work at continue flawlessly.
To be considered for such a position, one would have to finish the formal education required and provided at postsecondary educational institutions. These would include vocational schools, junior colleges, online educational programs, community colleges, and so on. The medical assisting program that is taken up in school must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or CAAHEP. The program may also be accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools or ABHES. Accreditation of the medical assisting program from either of these two organizations is an important prerequisite for graduates of any postsecondary educational institution if the graduates intend to be certified or registered health care providers.
A medical assistant who is certified or registered has a greater chance of being hired by a medical facility and increases their chances of job advancement. While professional certification or registration is not a must, it is definitely a process that is encouraged by groups such as the American Association of Medical Assistants or AAMA and others in order to assure that those applying for such a position are actually qualified and competent enough to be considered for the job.
To become certified, one would have to find out if they are eligible to take the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) (AAMA) Certification Examination. Once they are done with their accredited medical assisting program, including a practicum, they will have to apply to take the CMA (AAMA) Certification Examination and pay the necessary fees. If your application is approved and processed, you will then receive a permit that allows you to schedule your test date. It is important to schedule your test date soon after you receive your permit in order for you to choose the date and location you prefer. The best way to prepare for your upcoming CMA (AAMA) Certification Examination is simple: study.
Passing the CMA (AAMA) Certification Examination will make you a certified and guarantees that you will be considered certified for sixty (60) months. Once the 60 months are up, you will then be required to recertify and this can be done either of two ways: through continuing education or by taking a certification re-examination. Of course, you can choose to become a registered medical assistant or an RMA. This is done through the American Medical Technologists or AMT agency. Either way, this opens more opportunities for you in your chosen profession.