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Employment Opportunities For A Certified Medical Assistant
Certification is not essential for employment as a medical assistant; however a certified medical assistant usually has a better chance of finding employment and is usually offered slightly higher wages especially once experience has been gained. Whereas once a person could become an assistant without any specialized training, only needing to have passed High School, these days most employees prefer hiring those who have had some training. Training is available from many community and career colleges as well as online via distance learning. Often, after receiving training, an externship is required for practical training.
There are two types of degrees available; a one year diploma or certificate, and a two-year associate degree. As certification is important these days you will want to ensure that the college you choose is accredited by one of the accrediting Bureaus. Once you take this examination and pass you will then become certified. However, in order to maintain your certification it is necessary to continue with your education, and to receive new credits every five years.
While the initial training includes both administrative and clinical training, some CMA’s will gravitate more towards administrative work, while others will continue on in the clinical field. Administrative CMAs will help make appointments, file charts and records, provide patient education, update patient’s records, arrange for laboratory tests or x-rays and generally perform other more administrative duties. A clinical CMA may do some of the above but will probably also be responsible for maintaining and refilling examination rooms, taking blood samples, giving injections, changing dressings and assist the doctor or health provider during examinations.
Certified Assistants are in great demand these days and with the health care and medical fields growth rates increasing annually there will be even more opportunities for good job placement in this field in the future. While non-certified and certified assistants begin their employment at similar salary levels, the difference in salary between the two grows much more as experience is gained, with a CMA usually earning much more than a non-certified assistant by the time they have both been in the workforce for five to ten years.