Medical assisting is a rewarding career focused on helping others every day. “Medical Assistant” and “Certified Medical Assistant” may sound like the same thing, but there are important reasons to get certified as a medical assistant. Here are the top 4 reasons you need medical assistant certification in this career:
1. Medical Assistant Certification is Assurance of Your Training
In order to sit for your medical assisting certification, you must have been trained at a programmatically accredited Medical Assisting program. These accrediting bodies require your training program to adhere to professional standards required for the demands of the job. This means that you are ensured classes and labs that will provide you with the understanding of anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and pharmacology needed as a medical assistant. You’ll also learn through a hands-on curriculum how to properly administer injections, perform EKGs, and draw blood. You’ll have the skills and knowledge to serve your patients and assist other healthcare professionals to the very best of your abilities.
2. You'll Qualify for the Best Medical Assistant Jobs
In addition to assuring that you will receive quality training, certification shows proof to employers that you have acquired the clinical and administrative skills that will make you an excellent medical assistant according to national standards. Employers look for certification to affirm that candidates know the job and are serious about their careers. More and more employers now insist on certification before they’ll hire. According to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), they field more than 100 employer requests for CMA certification verification— for both current and potential employees—every day. Will you have what employers are looking for?
3. You Can Earn More Money as a Medical Assistant
The wages you’ll be paid as a medical assistant will vary depending on where you work and the experience you bring to the employer. But the AAMA says that employers pay higher wages to those medical assistants who have certification. Your pay, potential benefits, job stability, and long-term career prospects can all be positively impacted by your certification.
4. You'll Commit to Lifelong Learning and Training
Certification starts with a medical assisting program and a single exam, but continues throughout your career. The AAMA requires continuing education and recertification every five years.1 These requirements help you to stay up-to-date with the latest treatment procedures, technologies and trends in U.S. medical practices.
For students like Brianne Overbeek, finding an accredited medical assisting program at ANU and getting her certification was key to her success in a career that she loves. “I love all of it,” she says with enthusiasm, “I love being able to provide care for different types and ages of people.” If you want a rewarding career with great job prospects,2 check out the accredited Medical Assisting Program at American National University. Classes start soon. Contact us today to learn more now.
1 http://www.aama-ntl.org/continuing-education/recertification-policies#.VmrwB0orLIU
2 http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm
