Looking For Info About AAMA Medical Assistants?AAMA medical assistants are certified medical assistants (CMAs) who have completed a certified AAMA medical assistants training program and then passed a national certification exam. If you would like to become an AAMA medical assistant, the first thing you need to do is find an AAMA medical assistants training program in your area. The AAMA medical assistants training programs are certified through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The CAAHEP website lists all of the certified training programs for those who wish to become AAMA medical assistants. There are 560 CAAHEP certified training programs for AAMA medical assistants in the United States. Forty-six states have at least one certified training program for AAMA medical assistants. For those of people who do not live near a CAAHEP accredited AAMA medical assistants training program, there are two options for online programs that are certified. These are Kaplan University in Davenport, IA and Spencerian College in Louisville, KY. These programs allow online distance education, while still being certified by the CAAHEP. Once you find a CAAHEP certified training program for AAMA medical assistants in your area (or decide to complete and online program), you need to apply, be accepted for, and complete the program. According to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), certified AAMA medical assistants training programs include studies on clinical and diagnostic procedures, coding and insurance processes, first aid, human anatomy, physiology and pathology, keyboarding and computer applications, laboratory techniques, medical administration, medical law and ethics, medical terminology, office practices, patient relations, pharmacology, and record keeping and accounting. Once you have successfully completed your CAAHEP certified AAMA medical assistants training program, you need to prepare for and pass the national certification exam offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants. Starting in 2009 this will be a computer based examination rather than a paper and pencil exam. There are various study guides you can get for this exam, as well as a practice test that you can get two months before your exam date. This CMA certification exam costs $95 for recent graduates of CAAHEP certified AAMA medical assistants training programs and AAMA members, and $170 for all others. Once you have passed your CMA Certification Exam, you are one of those lucky few who can call themselves AAMA medical assistants, and you are all set to look for a job. |