Are you wondering “How do I become a certified medical assistant?”
If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this article we’ll examine what a medical assistant is, what they do and how to get training and certification in a relatively short period of time.
Medical Assisting is quickly becoming one of the hottest jobs available, with Certified Medical Assistants being in high demand. Becoming a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) is a great decision if you are interested in a career in medicine without having to spend the time and money to become a nurse or doctor.
But before we can talk about becoming a Certified Medial Assistant, perhaps we should find out just what a Medical Assistant is and what it is that they do.
What is a Medical Assistant?
A medical assistant works to help the doctors and nurses in their office. While the job description is going to vary depending on the size and location of the office, in general a medical assistant is responsible for all the administrative work in the front office as well as basic clinical work like taking vital signs, taking the patients to their rooms and making them comfortable or even drawing blood.
In larger clinics or offices there may be a front office administrative staff that do the desk work, leaving the medical assistant to just help with the patients. But the chances are good that you will find yourself occasionally having to do both jobs should the need arise.
Being a Medical Assistant is an excellent career move, and not nearly as time (or money) intensive as becoming a nurse or a doctor. It also pays fairly well, especially for those individuals who stay in and gain a good deal of experience and expertise. But for those just starting out as Certified Medical Assistants, the pay varies between $24,930 per year and $25,360 per year depending on what sort of office you work in (outpatient center, general or surgical hospital, or physician’s office). The duties that you are required to perform will also vary depending on what sort of job you work at.
So how do you become a medical assistant?
Certified Medical Assistant Training
While it is not absolutely necessary to get your medical assistant certification in order to work as a medical assistant, more and more offices are requiring that their Medical Assistants are certified so that they can take on more responsibilities.
Becoming a Certified Medical Assistant is not terribly hard and only takes between six months to a year of training.
But the first step you will need to do is to graduate from a certified medical assistant training program. These programs are offered by most of the larger colleges and universities as well as by a number of smaller certification and medical training programs. Tuition will vary from facility to facility, but the training itself usually does not take longer than a year.
Certified Medical Assistant Exam
Once you have graduated from a certified Medical Assistant training program, you will need to take (and pass) the AAMA CMA Certification Exam. Once you have taken and passed the CMA Certification exam, you can apply for employment with those seeking a CMA.
While some offices require a certain amount of experience before they will hire you, especially in individual doctors’ offices, or offices in more rural areas where you will have more responsibilities, there are always offices that will hire you and give you the training and experience you need to succeed in your chosen career as a Certified Medical Assistant.
The medical field is continually growing and expanding, so as a CMA you will never find yourself without a job. If you’ve been thinking about this profession for a while now and want to know “How do I become a certified medical assistant,” don’t delay, find a training program near you and get started on your medical assistant certification today!
Visit our medical assistant certification page to learn more about certification options.
Related Searches: is medical assistant hard, what do you have to do to become a certified medical assistant, is it hard to become a medical assistant, how to become a certified medical assistant, what do you need to become a medical assistant,
