subject: A Career as Certified Medical Assistants [print this page] A Career as Certified Medical Assistants A Career as Certified Medical Assistants
Job security is important to every working person, especially when the economy is not faring well. But there are some jobs that are unfazed by the economy as there is always a high demand for them; and one of these lucrative careers is that of a certified medical assistant.
Reason for high demand
With the advancement of technology, the medical field is also enjoying the positive effects of technology which serve to increase the lifespan of people. More people are able to age gracefully and many senior citizens are reaching 85 and higher easily; hence, they become the fastest growing population. With this increased category of people, there is bound to be a big impact on health and the health care industry must be prepared to service a larger group of elderly.
Therefore, it is necessary to have more medical personnel such as medical assistants.
Benefits of being Certified
The law does not insist on anyone being licensed or even certified as a medical assistant but the growing percentage of these diligent medical assistants to be certified has reached an impressive 90%. The basic reason for this whopping increase in certification is that many employers prefer their workers to have higher qualifications or credentials. But there are certain states that insist on a medical assistant being certified before they are allowed to perform specific medical procedures such as taking X-rays or drawing blood.
Being a certified medical assistant gives one the professional advantage. It is not only impressive to the employers about your ability and skills as a medical assistant; it also conveys the passion and outlook of your profession as serious and in-depth. This in turn paves the advancement and job security opportunities.
Another advantage of a certified medical assistant is the fact that the certification conveys a firm recognition by the industry and authorities in health care as it carries an approved accreditation. That secures your job and moves you on in your career path.
Required Education for a CMA
The first step to being a certified medical assistant is to obtain an accredited medical assistant degree from one of the health care institutes in the state. The American Association of Medical Assistants is an established association which awards the certification to qualified medical assistants. Certifications need to be renewed after a 5 year period.
Certified Medical Assistant Program Structure
There are two classes in a certified medical assistant program: scientific and administrative. The former prepares future certified medical assistants to be highly skilled health care professionals by engaging in science-related subjects such as biology, anatomy, physiology and pharmacology.
The latter prepares future certified medical assistants to be responsible and efficient administrators who play an important and necessary role in the practitioner's office. Certified medical assistants will need to oversee much paperwork that involves payments and records.
