Online Medical Assistant School Programs

By Kristin Deshane

To get a medical assistant job, it is not required by law to be licensed or certified, but many of medical assistants opt to become certified. Certification is completely voluntary, however some (possibly most) employers require certification and some states require certification to perform specific job duties such as performing x-rays or drawing blood.

In order to become certified, you must graduate from a medical assistant program accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP). There are two types of certification: Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) or Registered Medical Assistant (RMA). CMAs are awarded by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). The steps to obtaining CMA (AAMA) certification are 1. graduate from an accredited medical assisting program and 2. pass the CMA (AAMA) Certification/Recertification Examination.

Whether or not you choose to attempt CMA or RMA certification, a good education is your best chance at finding the best, highest paid MA position. In order to make sure you are getting the most benefit out of your education, it is best to complete an accredited program. Some medical assistants are trained on the job, but most (including many of the most competitive job candidates) attend medical assisting school.

Usually, in order to get into medical assisting school it is necessary to have a high school diploma or GED. Different progams are different lengths. A program to earn certification may last 1 year and a program to get an associates degree may last 2 years. Possibly the most beneficial part of medical assisting school is an internship where practical, hands-on experience is gained. These internships can be a a pysicians office, a hospital, or other health care facility.

When choosing a medical assisting school, be sure to choose one that is accredited. The two organizations that provide accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If you are attending MA school to complete a certification process, both the RMA and CMA certification processes accept both of these Accreditations.

Many regular colleges and universities offer online programs, and there are some instutions that offer online-degrees only. This article will go over some of the options for accredited online medical assistant education programs.

It is extremely beneficial to do research when choosing an online program. There are several things that should be considered such as: 1. how much will it cost me? 2. what is the time commitment involved? 3. what do those who have completed th program say about it? 4. is the program accredited by the appropriate institution? 5. what is the teacher/student ratio?

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