Attn: November
When the federal statute known as the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March 2010 the face of national healthcare has changed. The increasing access that citizens have to healthcare has required the medical community to employ more caregivers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics document that medical community is developing the position of Medical Assistant which has a job outlook three times the norm. Across the country more than 5000 universities, colleges and job training centers of many kinds have developed post-secondary programs to prepare for the Medical Assistant positions. Some of these educational entities grant undergraduate diplomas and certificates, others confer an Associate Degree for the Medical Assistant.
The majority of these programs are structured around the traditional classroom experience, but newer online programs are starting to emerge. Some programs are hybrid programs, but almost all of these programs require an unpaid internship at the end to assist in the integration of the academic presentations. Other institutions are working on programs to help the medical assistant to complete their Bachelors or Masters Degrees over time as they advance their careers.
The Center for Economic and Workforce Development has developed a graphic illustrating how the entry-level Medical Assistant can dramatically advance their career over time. When you read an announcement like Medical Assistant Certification Testing Offered at NPC, you need to understand the political and strategic terrain in which this testing occurs. Across the country the licensing of health care workers happens at the state level. These state departments usually operate boards of advisers that set the qualifications for these licenses.
States That Offer License
Currently very few states have developed state licenses for medical assistants. The state of California is one exception; their certifying board has been offering the California Certified Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam since 1990. In this vacuum, national trade associations have emerged that contribute to the professionalism of the medical assistants that choose to join them.
Two of them are recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA). Both of these complex organizations have a component that assesses these programs to train medical assistants. Setting these standards for the schools and their programs has improved the preparation that individuals receive during their training as a medical assistant.
The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accepts the recommendations from the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) regarding the programs it approves. The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) is the second group that gives program accreditation. Quality programs apply to get accredited by either or both of these programs, and maintain their accreditation through a regular inspection program and improvement cycles. Graduates of these approved programs are eligible to sit for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam. There are other, smaller national organizations for Medical Assistants that offer professional examinations and titles to their members.
Accredited Associations
These national organizations like the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) whose individual members are the Certified Medical Assistants (CMA), provide a comprehensive program that fosters life-long learning and improvement for their members. Their credentials as Certified, Registered, or Nationally Registered are recognized across state lines.
Some state medical boards even recommend this national recognition rather than providing local licenses. When Medical Assistant Certification Testing Offered at NPC is announced, graduates of approved programs know where to complete their incorporation into the American Association of Medical Assistants. Getting more personal about these requirements is important.
Whether you are a high school graduate or a seasoned worker in transition, you have invested a considerable block of time, countless hours of study, and some serious monies to complete the training program preparing to become a Medical Assistant. In joining the AAMA you align yourself with the strongest professional voice for Medical Assistants. This national organization is composed of a network of state associations which actively speaks on behalf of this new role in the whole health care conglomerate.
Graduates who qualify as a Certified Medical Assistant through the AAMA have secured added recognition and approbation for the investment made in they have already completed. In the institutional connection with the other men and women working as medical assistants they can support appropriate state legislation, and find empathy for the inevitable workplace stressors.
A Career That Matters
Whether working in free standing clinics, university medical centers, or school first aid offices today’s Medical Assistant is cross-trained in both clinical protocols and administrative procedures. In dealing with those who are ill, the Medical Assistants help physician by taking medical histories, performing laboratory tests and answering questions about medications or diets.
In the medical office, the Medical Assistant works with office schedules, prescription refills, and billing and collections. The professionalism with which they fulfill these responsibilities is critical to the national agenda of making healthcare accessible to all citizens. So when you see the announcement Medical Assistant Certification Testing Offered at NPC, you know that Medical Assistants want to stand with you in celebrating your academic achievements and protect your professional future.