How to Become a Medical Assistant

Medical assistants help doctors provide medical care to patients. Safely treating patients is important to physicians and healthcare practices. Many employers require that medical assistants be certified to ensure they have the necessary skills and competency to care for patients.^[1] So, what are the requirements to become a certified medical assistant?

What Is the Role of a Medical Assistant?

Medical assistants play supportive roles in doctors’ offices, hospitals, and other healthcare settings. Depending on the size of the practice, they may help out in the front office with customer service and business administration tasks or assist the doctor in the back office by preparing patients for treatments, for example by taking vital signs or blood samples. In some doctors’ offices, medical assistants are responsible for administrative and clinical tasks.^[2] Learn more about what a medical assistant does.

Medical Assistant Education Requirements

The most basic requirement to become a medical assistant is a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED). While some employers will train individuals for the job, most prefer to hire those who’ve completed a medical assistant program at a vocational school or community college. Certification can also improve employment opportunities.^[3]

Educational Steps to Becoming a Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant Career Path	Type of Career Preparation	What to Expect	Preferred by Employers or Required
Step 1	High School Diploma or GED	Courses in or Study of Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy, Computers & Business Can Be Helpful	Required
Step 2	Post-Secondary Medical Assistant Training	Instruction & Training in Medical Assisting & Office Management Tasks	Preferred
Step 3	Medical Assistant Certification	Studying for & Taking an Exam after Completion of an Accredited Medical Assistant Program or Relevant Work Experience	Required in Some States & Preferred by Employers

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The time it takes to fulfill the educational requirements to become a medical assistant varies. For example, earning a high school diploma can take 4 years while studying for the GED test can take months.^[6] Medical assistant programs can be completed in anywhere from 9 months to 2 years. Medical assistant certification exams can be taken in under 3 hours but individual study times likely vary.^[7]

What Do You Learn as a Medical Assistant Program Student?

What you learn in a medical assistant program depends on where you study. Medical assistant schools or vocational institutes typically offer instruction and hands-on training in the subject matter and skills needed for the job. Community colleges usually provide a combination of career-focused training and general education courses like English.^[8] Students learn how to perform administrative and medical tasks in the portion of their studies that is relevant to a medical assistant career.

Administrative Training	Details	Medical Training	Details
Microsoft Office Suite & Other Software Programs	Microsoft Word & Excel Accounting, Email & Medical Software	Anatomy & Physiology	The Parts of Human Body Systems & How They Work
Electronic Recordkeeping	Maintaining Electronic Patient Medical Records	Pharmacology	How Medications Interact with the Human Body
Medical Billing & Coding	Documenting Patient Treatments with Medical Codes & Billing Insurance Companies	Basic Surgical Assisting	Names & Uses of Medical Equipment, How to Assist in Medical Procedures & Equipment Sanitization
Appointment Scheduling	Coordinating Patient & Doctor Schedules to Book Appointments	Medical Terminology	Definitions, Uses, Correct Spelling & Abbreviations for Medical Terms
Insurance Claim Management	Filing Insurance Claims & Advocating for Patients with Insurance Companies	Phlebotomy	How to Safely Draw Blood
Customer Service	Politely Answering Telephones & Greeting Patients Evaluating Customer Satisfaction	Patient Care	Taking Medical Histories & Vital Signs Providing First Aid
Bookkeeping	Paying Bills & Light Accounting	Clinical Externship	Supervised Training in a Medical Facility

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Where to Study the Medical Assistant Career?

Vocational schools and community colleges are two common places to study to become a medical assistant. See how the two educational paths compare.

Characteristics	Vocational School	Community College
Program Length	9 to 12 Months	24 Months or Longer	Certificate or Diploma
Credential Awarded	Certificate or Diploma	Associate Degree	Varies
Study Focus	Specific to Career	Career Specific & General Education	May Be Specific to Career Only
Cost	Less Time in School Can Mean Lower Training Cost	Studying for Longer Can Cost More	Depends on Program Length

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How to Become a Certified Medical Assistant?

Medical assistant certification is not required but many employers prefer to hire applicants with this credential. The Certifying Board (CB) of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) grants the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential. Individuals must first meet eligibility requirements and then take and pass an exam to become a CMA.

Exam Eligibility Requirements	Exam Content
Category 1	Take the Exam within the 30 Days Prior to Completing or Apply for the Exam within 12 Months of Graduating from a Medical Assisting Program Accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).	The CMA Exam Requires an Up-to-Date & Thorough Understanding of the Delivery of Health Care. Categories Include Administrative, Clinical & General Knowledge. The CMA Exam Consists of 200 Multiple-Choice Questions. Candidates Are Given Four 40-Mintute Segments of Time to Take the Exam.
Category 2	Non-Recent Graduates of ABHES or CAAHEP Accredited Medical Assisting Programs May Apply for the Exam More than 12 Months after Graduation.
Category 3	Those Who Have Previously Passed the CMA Certification Exam May Apply to Take It Again to Recertify.

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Four other types of medical assistant certification are available.

Granting Organization	Certification
National Healthcareer Association	Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
National Center for Competency Testing	National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA)
American Medical Technologists	Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
National Healthcareer Association	Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)

Similar to the Certified Medical Assistant credential, candidates must meet eligibility requirements, such as graduating from an accredited medical assistant program or having relevant work experience, as well as pass an exam. Most organizations require applicants to be at least 18 years old to apply for certification.^[19]

Some medical assistant programs schedule their students to take the American Association of Medical Assistants’ (AAMA) National Medical Assistant (CMA) Certification Exam prior to graduation. This is the case at Midwest Technical Institute, which offers 9-month medical assistant training at its campuses in Springfield, East Peoria, and Moline, Illinois. The school also offers a program in Springfield, Missouri.

Entering the Medical Assisting Industry

As one of the fastest growing occupations, medical assisting can not only be a promising career but also a fulfilling one helping to improve the health and wellness of the country.^[20] Employment opportunities tend to be best for those with the right credentials: medical assistant training and medical assistant certification. A 9-month medical assistant program can serve as a starting point into the medical assisting industry. If you have questions about becoming a medical assistant, the admissions staff at MTI is happy to help.