Medical assistants are allied health professional supporting the work of the physicians as well as other health professionals in various settings including clinics, ambulatory care facilities, and medical offices. They can be certified by going through an accredited program which is often offered by the junior or community college. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, their job is regarded as one among the nation’s quickest growing careers.

The initial step to become a vital member of a healthcare team is to take a medical assisting program through the traditional or online school. To have the eligibility of getting the best jobs as well as the highest pay, it is required to become certified by means of taking the Certified Medical Assistant exam which is being offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants. The eligibility requirements include the successful passing of the medical program which has an accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.

The eligibility for medical assistant certification is classified into three categories:

Category 1 – This is for the completing student or a student who has recently graduated from a CAAHEP or ABHES medical assisting program. There is no documentation is needed. The program, including the practicum, should have verification from the program director to be able to get the official scores and the certification.

Category 2 – It is intended for the non-recent graduate of a CAAHEP or ABHES medical assisting program. The document required for this is the official transcript.

Category 3 – This is for the CMA (AAMA) re-certificant. No document is needed as long as there is the provision of the CMA (AAMA) certificate number and the most recent certification or re-certification date on the application.

Second, collect all the appropriate documentation for the eligibility category. Third, review all of the exam information as well as its policies. It is essential that you accept all the provisions under the “Applicant Agreement” upon submission of application. Fourth, decide the date which you desire to start the 90-day testing period. This will be the determining factor as to when you will be applying for the exam. Fifth, it is vital to monitor the e-mail. The email-address to be used must be valid for the following year. You need to add CMAExam@aama-ntl.org to your approved e-mail list. Be certain to check spam or junk e-mail folder for the CMA Exam e-mails.

Moving on, the sixth step is the application for the exam. This can be done online or by downloading the Handbook and completing the form. Seventh, the contact information needed to be updated that is why it is vital to make name, e-mail, and postal address changes on a timely basis. Eighth, schedule your exam right away following the printing of your Scheduling Permit. Ninth, do preparations for the exam and include reviewing the test center scheduling and policies. Tenth, complete the exam and wait for a pass or fail notification at the test center. The exam status and scores can be reviewed at My Certification Information.

The last two steps is to wait for the official exam scores which you will receive within 10 weeks from your exam date and to wait for the certificate and wallet card after passing the exam which you will get at about 10 weeks after receiving the official scores.

Certified Medical Administrative Assistants, which are also known as the Medical Office Assistant or the Medical Office Secretary, is an acknowledged certification nationwide for Medical Administrative Assistants. It shows one’s ability in performing routine administrative tasks in the clinic or office of the physicians in order to keep it running with efficiency.

Medical assistants play an important role in the daily operations of a lot of medical practices. They offer valuable support to the physicians, nurses, and other licensed professionals who belong to the medical field.

Among the essential tasks that the Medical Administrative Assistants perform include the following:

– Reviewing and answering practice correspondence
– Operating computer systems or other kinds of technology for accomplishing various office tasks
– Answering calls, making schedules for appointments, greeting different patients, and maintaining files
– Doing an update and maintaining patient as well as other practice-precise information
– Coordinating the collection and the preparation of several operating reports including the time and the attendance

Other tasks that the Certified Administrative Assistant can do also include:

• Preparing patients for exams
• Performing clinical tasks which are routinely done
• Taking the histories of the patients
• Obtaining vital signs including the temperature
• Measuring the blood pressure of the patients
• Measuring the weight and height

The role of the medical assistants is indeed a mixture of administrative work and interacting with various patients. They will be reporting to either a nurse or a doctor. They will be giving assistance in the management of several tasks. Becoming a medical assistant gives one the opportunity to be able to work in clinics or hospitals and in private medical practices.

The Certified Medical Administrative Assistants are trained professionals who work in providing customer service. As mandated by HIPAA and JACHO, they stay current on each and every regulation and policy on the collection, storage, as well as on the dissemination of patient information. They act as the key players to provide facility support services related to healthcare. In addition, they hold the responsibility for all of the medical records to be accurate and they ensure the smooth running of the medical facilities.

It is vital that the medical administrative assistants have exceptional people skills because most of their time at work is spent in having interaction with both of the medical staff and the patients. It is important that they act professionally especially when they deal with different kinds of patients because these patients may be too moody. Another essential thing that the medical assistants need to do is to be able to handle stress without having to lose their cool. Due to the multiple tasks that they perform, handling stress is vital and this comes along with calming themselves even until the workday ends.

Administrative medical assisting is a skilled profession which is suited to the individuals who have field-related knowledge that has been developed through formal training. They should be excellent with communication and are highly proficient in using the computers.

Working in the medical field is a respectable as well as a stable career. It is essential that one should have the knowledge as to the tasks needed to be performed according to one’s roles. The certified nursing assistants and medical assistants are health care providers involving working with the patients of varied ages as well as with different physical condition and providing them patient care at high quality. However, both careers have specific responsibilities and roles in providing patient care.

Medical assistants give focus on the medical care of the patients and on the administrative work. They do the administration of injections as well as medications and take the health information of the patients. Frequently, the medical assistants do both office and medical tasks.

They do the gathering of the patient information when the patients seek for consultation and they perform the collection of the insurance information from the patients. Primarily, they work under the direct supervision of the physician. Within their scope of practice, they can draw blood sample for laboratory testing, do patient assessment such as preliminary physical examination. Moreover, they obtain vital signs like blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate.

Other duties of the medical assistants include the following:

• obtaining the medical history, medication maintenance, and list of allergies
• doing the compilation of the charts of the patients
• scheduling appointments
• answering phone calls
• cleaning and sanitizing the examination rooms and equipment after patient use
• stocking rooms with equipment and supplies necessary in the performance of patient care

You can learn more about receiving a medical assistant certificate on this page.

Nursing assistants primarily work in nursing homes, hospitals, and other long-term facilities. The care that they provide is based on the skills as well as knowledge learned during the CNA training program. As part of their scope of practice, it has a protocol on giving instructions regarding the care that they will be performing such as bathing, toileting, and feeding.

A CNA takes the role of a caregiver to patients and they help the patients with their medical needs. They provide direct patient care by giving assistance with the ADL’s, helping them with their physical activities, and monitoring the intake and output. They assist the nurses in treatments including wound care.

NA’s help with preventive measures like doing a follow-up on turning schedules for the reduction of pressure ulcers. They relay the condition of the patients to the nurses. It is also part of their responsibilities to prioritize the safety of the patients like making sure of the usage of safety devices like the patient alarms and bed side rails.

Below are other duties of nursing assistants:

• gathering information like vital signs (pulse rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure)
• ordering blood tests
• keeping records of the patient information
• doing bedside care including those who are disabled or anesthetized during their recovery and on continuous basis
• being available in times when the patients need them and this would mean working during nights, weekends, and also on holidays