Certification = Verification of Your Skill?

Every year thousands of new and experienced medical assistants applying for jobs are asked to show potential employers reliable documentation of their education, training, knowledge and skills, despite of the fact that not every highly skilled and qualified medical assistant is always certified, and vice versa. Let us now discuss the value of proper training for medical assistants and certificates and certifications. 

Is a Medical Assistant With Certificate Better than Another? For instance, is a recent graduate from a medical assistant school with certification better qualified than an applicant who received his/her medical assisting and first aid training in the Military and has worked in the health care field for many years on end? Nothing on the certification says that the holder knows how to properly access a vein and obtain a viable blood sample on the very first try, or knows how to console a fearful child, since the multiple-choice exam attests only to the certificant's areas of theoretical knowledge only.

Medical assistant certification exams are usually taken upon successful graduation from an accredited training program either in "pencil and paper" format at designated locations with a proctor present, or via computer terminals at designated testing centers.

Some medical assistant and allied health professional certification bodies also offer their home study certification program, where experienced healthcare workers can challenge the national certification exam if they meet the eligibility requirements.

Many will agree that medical assistant certification is recognized and respected by employers and professionals and an ever increasing number of doctors prefer medical assistants with certifications. They see it as assurance that the individual has a certain amount of knowledge of general, clinical and administrative concepts and can prove it by earning their credentials. Here is a WARNING, though, those who want to do their learning via an online medical assistant training program MUST do their research on the online course they want to use.

Many community colleges and vocational training institutions now offer their complete, or partial medical assistant program online, however, potential medical assistant students should NEVER sign up for anything before doing thorough research and asking important questions. Some websites emphasize that they offer the best medical assistant training online with nationally accredited endorsement for their certified medical assistant program, however, just because it is advertised it doesn't necessarily mean the course is accredited by any of the reputable national accreditors of healthcare schools such as CAAHEP and ABHES, or the Department of Education that employer want.

Anyone can set up a so-called medical assistant online program and accreditation committee and claim their course is a certified medical assistant online program—that doesn't always mean the certificate you will receive is worth the paper it is printed on. If the program is not recognized and qualified at best, you can frame your certificate and hang it on your wall. What you will get from a fly-by-night medical assistant course is a paper that states that you have completed an online medical assistant course, that's it, a certificate of course completion, if that much—good luck with landing a qualified medical assistant position with a provider who runs a successful medical clinic and then applying for industry recognized certifications with the AAMA, AMT, NRMA, or NHA, established authorities in medical assistant certification in the USA and abroad. Also, keep in mind that some US states now mandate certifications and limited licenses in certain medical technical procedures, such as in phlebotomy, X-ray, EKG, and of those who administer physical and IV therapy.

Medical assistant certification exams can be taken as early as immediately upon graduating from an accredited and approved medical assistant training program, or any time later. There are no on the job experience requirements to sit for the exam; the requirement is KNOWING the job! However, some medical assistants new in the field put off taking the exam until they have gained some work experience first. AMT and NHA both grant their certifications either based on successful completion of an approved vocational training program or based on a certain number of consecutive years of work experience in the specific discipline.

 MEDICAL ASSISTANT CERTIFICATIONS

Different Medical Assistant Certification Exams

While some details may vary from certification exam to certification exam by different associations, there is broad-based agreement that those who have passed these exams have verified that their level of professionalism, knowledge, and education in their specific field is above and beyond the rest.

Employers know that professional membership associations and certification sponsors work hard to establish high-quality standards and criteria in the allied health discipline. Their mission is to help allied health professionals to advance, and build awareness of important principles and trends in their occupation and health care industry.

Therefore, there is no question that being certified makes finding jobs easier and puts better pay within reach. Passing these comprehensive certification exams is a valid statement of the person's excellence and qualification the medical assistant field, and regarded as such by employers and facilities who hire.

Medical Assistant Certifications

In today's economy and job market certifications are important! Professional certification creates instant credibility and gives you recognized designations in your specific discipline called credentials. Credentials are verification of your work related knowledge and qualifications and are portable to all places that you may work now, and in the future.

Clinical vs. Administrative Medical Assisting Credentials

AAMA and NRMA do not offer separate credentials for clinical and administrative medical assisting, while the AMT and NHA do make a distinction between the two and offer different designations accordingly.

Certification Cost and Maintenance

Taking a certification exam and maintaining active certification status is associated with certain costs, such as certification exam prep books, registration fee for the examination, and continuing education credits (CEU). The cost for the examination differs between organizations. The AAMA examination costs $250 for those seeking first-time certification and $125 for those seeking recertification. The AMT examination costs $95, and the NHA's is $105.

Certification Status Expiration

Certified professionals need to keep their certification status active and up to date. Certification is not permanent, but rather, it must be maintained through a certain number of annual continuing education credits (CEU), otherwise it will expire after a set number of years:

• AAMA's CMA certification = 5 years
• AMT's RMT certification = 3 years
• NHA's CCMA + CMAAS = 2 years

Once any of the above mentioned certifications have lapsed (expired) the person may continue to work in his/her role as a medical assistant, but may no longer use these credentials behind his/her name until he/she has applied for recertification through re-examination.

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National Healthcareer Association and AMT grants certifications based on experience:

Certification candidates who want to take advantage of certification based on their years of continuous experience on the job can do so through the NO EXAM program, an opportunity for experienced individuals. Those who want to get certified must provide written proof of from their director or employer.

  NHA offers clinical certifications:

• Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
• Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)
• Certified EKG Technician (CET)
• Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA)
• Certified Patient Care/Associate/Nurse Technician (CPCT/CPCA/CNT)
• Certified Operating Room/Surgical Technician (CORST)
• Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)

  NHA's administrative certifications:

• Certified Electronic Health Record Specialist (CEHRS)
• Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)
• Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)

AMT's Clinical Allied Health Professional Certifications:

•  Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
• Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT)
• Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)
• Medical Technologist (MT)
• Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)
• Medical Laboratory Technician (CML)
• Clinical Lab Consultant (CLC)

AMT's administrative certifications:

• Medical Administrative Specialist (CMAS)

AMT's healthcare instructor certification:

• AMT Healthcare Instructor (AHI)

Medical Assistant Certification Reference:

 American Association of Medical Assistants, 20 North Wacker Dr., Suite 1575, Chicago, IL 60606
  Internet: http://www.aama-ntl.org

 American Medical Technologists, 10700 West Higgins Rd., Suite 150, Rosemont, IL 60018
  Internet: http://www.amt1.com

 National Healthcareer Association, 7 Ridgedale Ave., Suite 203, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927
  Internet: http://www.nhanow.com

 American Optometric Association, 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63141
  Internet: http://www.aoa.org

 American Society of Podiatric Medical Assistants, 2l24 South Austin Blvd., Cicero, IL 60804
  Internet: http://www.aspma.org

  Information about career opportunities, training programs, and certification for ophthalmic
  medical personnel: Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology,
  2025 Woodlane Dr., St. Paul, MN 55125. Internet: http://www.jcahpo.org 

Accredited Educational Programs in Medical Assisting Info:

 Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, 7777 Leesburg Pike Suite #314 N, Falls Church, VA 22043. Internet: http://www.abhes.org

  Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, 1361 Park St., Clearwater, FL 33756. Internet: http://www.caahep.org