Medical Assistants are healthcare professionals who support medical practices by performing various administrative and clinical tasks. Medical Assistants can perform a variety of clinical tasks including: patient care, ECG and other diagnostic tests, phlebotomy and pharmacology. On the administrative side, Medical Assistants help with: scheduling appointments, maintaining computer office applications, creating and maintaining patient records, and billing/insurance processing.
Many Medical Assistants choose to become certified in order to increase their chances of obtaining a job or advancing their career. There are several certification organizations that offer Medical Assistant Certifications, including:
NCCT - National Center for Competency Testing offers the NCMA certification
AAMA - American Association of Medical Assistants offers the CMA certification
ARMA - The American Registry of Medical Assistants offers the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification
Although each of the certifications/credentials is different, the all require the passing of a Medical Assistant certification exam. The medical assistant exams vary slighly in content and format, but all contain questions designed to assess whether a candidate has the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the job functions required of most medical assistants.
