For most people, the medical office assistant certification program is a program that aids a career into a new field with uncertain prospects.is new and you are looking to learn more about this noble uprising profession. Therefore, you are in the right place.
To become a certified medical office assistant, there are top certification programs one must complete.
Therefore, this article will expose you, not only to the great opportunities of being a medical office assistant but would also walk you through the path on how to become a medical office assistant.
Take a look at the table of content below.
WHO IS A MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT?
Firstly, let’s try and fully understand who a medical office assistant is. A medical office assistant is personnel that supports doctors and other health practitioners in performing clerical and administrative tasks to ensure the smooth running of the clinic.
They are responsible for tasks like scheduling appointments, word processing, bookkeeping, accounting, photocopying, filing, answering the phone, and correspondence. They perform secretarial and administrative roles in hospitals and clinics.
If you choose to be a medical office assistant, you must possess certain skill sets which include: excellent communication skills, tech-savvy, the ability to be thoughtful and creative. In addition, you must have excellent organizational skills and must be able to be a team player as well as work alone in both comfortable and pressured situations.
Read: Top 15 Medical Certifications in the World
WHAT DOES A MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT DO?
A medical office assistant is tasked with a lot of important activities which vary based on the type of health care institute he/she works in.
Medical office assistants are tasked with the following roles which include but are not limited to;
- Taking calls, scheduling and confirming appointments, welcoming patients and patient relatives, as well as, disseminating and receiving information to and from patients.
- Using health related medical software to schedule appointments, prepare invoices, reports, financial statements, case history and medical reports.
- Aid in questioning patients and filing out patient intake forms and health history forms.
- They are responsible for transcribing handwritten notes, electronic dictations and oral instructions.
- Help to process payments made by patients as well as organizing bank documents and statements.
- They are responsible for setting up and maintaining proper management system.
- Perform clerical and administrative functions such as being responsible for stocking and supplying medical supplies
- They prepare medical documents using word processing applications and others
- Keep medical examination areas clean and properly maintained.
IS BEING A MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT A GOOD CAREER?
Now, the main question might be what prospects does a medical office assistant have? Well, the fact is this, a medical office assistant is an amazing career. The reason for this is, first, the job outlook for medical office assistants is above average with potential annual growth of 3.9%. Yet again, another reason why being a medical office assistant is a good career is, it exposes you to the health sector.
If you have ever had the appeal to save lives or be part of the action when the medical professionals are performing their magic, then, this is an amazing way of being part of the percentage that makes a change in the lives of millions without going through all the tedious strain of being a medical professional.
There are a lot of institutes that are available to hire a medical office assistant. These institutes include doctors’ offices, medical clinics, and other health care settings, hospitals. Alberta health services, physiotherapy clinics, dental clinics, spas, naturopathic facilities, and massage therapy offices. Public and private insurance companies and health software companies.
With this wide range of possible employment possibilities, you can see why it could be said that a medical office assistant is a good career.
WHAT KIND OF CERTIFICATION ARE APPLICABLE TO THE MEDICAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT?
A medical administrative assistant is the same as a medical office assistant and is at times used synonymously with a medical office secretary. However, the certification required by a medical administrative assistant is a CMAA (certified medical administrative assistant) certification.
This certification confirms that a person is fully able to perform all the clerical, managerial, and administrative duties required to keep a healthcare office fully and effectively functional.
The duties of a certified medical administrative assistant have already been previously mentioned above.
Below, we will answer the question of how do you get to become a certified medical administrative assistant.
WHAT IS A MOA CERTIFICATION?
The medical office assistant certification is a license that proves your proficiency as a medical office assistant. The Medical office assistant certification is the certified medical administrative assistant certification (CMAA).
HOW DO I BECOME A MOA?
To become a medical office assistant, there are certain criteria you would need to fulfill before you can become a certified medical office assistant.
These are the steps to become a certified medical office assistant’
- You must have completed high school and must have a GED or a high school diploma or its high school equivalent
- Should successfully complete a medical assisting program that included administrative assistant training within at least five years
- You must have to undergo training in medical terminology or pharmacology, management software and basic medical office procedures.
- You must have to undergo training in electronic medical records.
- Must apply for and pass the CMAA certification exam and must meet all the CMAA requirements.
You could also apply for a Medical assistant or a medical administrative assistant course and get a diploma or certificate. Such programs give an insight into the medical office assistant profession as well as hands-on training to better equip the personnel.
If you meet all these steps then you are a certified medical office assistant.
HOW MUCH IS THE CMAA EXAM?
The Certified medical administrative assistant (CMAA) exams are a certification exam offered by the National Health Career Association (NHA) who has testing centers all over the United States. They carry out Certified medical administrative assistant (CMAA) exams known to cost about $117.
Read: 15 Quick Certifications In The Medical Field That You Can Get Easily.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CMA AND CMAA?
The Certified medical assistant (CMA), also known as a medical assistant in some healthcare facilities is a proficiently skilled health professional whose major function is based on clinical procedures in an ambulatory healthcare setting. He may also have administrative roles in smaller health care facilities.
To be a certified medical assistant, you would need a certified clinical medical assistant certification (CCMA).
A certified medical administrative assistant is also known as a medical office secretary or medical office assistant performs majorly clerical duties in a healthcare facility.
The difference between the certified medical assistant (CMA) and the certified medical administrative assistant (CMAA) is that the certified medical assistant (CMA) carries out medical procedures such as administering injections or medications, performing EKG, phlebotomy, lab procedures, and taking vital signs of patients as well as some administrative roles whereas the certified medical administrative assistant (CMAA) only performs administrative and clerical roles.
HOW MUCH DO MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANTS GET PAID?
On average, a medical office assistant earns $47,100 per annum with some earning as high as $53,200 per annum and some others $42,000.
The salary ranges can also vary greatly based on the area of employment as well as the institute. Other factors that determine the amount a medical office assistant earns are education, certifications, additional skills, and years of experience
HOW CAN ONE GET A MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT CERTIFICATION?
If you are wondering if you can become a certified medical office assistant from the comfort of your home, well the answer is yes.
All you have to do is follow the few easy steps and you are on your way to becoming a medical office assistant.
- Step 1: Obtain a high school diploma or GED. This might take you four years that if you don’t already have one. You would need to focus on science courses and maths. You would also need to participate in computer classes and boost your tech savvy skills.
- Step 2: Complete a required online medical office assistant certification program. For most online colleges that offer this program, all you would need is you high school diploma or GED to register and apply. These courses at times take 1 year to complete as a full-time student and most colleges offers it at an affordable price.
- Step 3: Pass the CMAA exams. You would need to visit the NHA website, open an NHA account, apply for the exam and pay registration fees. All that’s left is for you to prepare for the exam, write and pass it. Then, you are officially a certified medical office assistant.
TOP 10 MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT CERTIFICATIONS IN 2022.
Listed below are the top 10 medical office assistant certifications in 2022 online. They offer the full curriculum for medical office assistant certification that is accepted globally.
- Lenoir Community college
- Craven community college
- Gaston college
- Wayne community college
- Wake Technical community college
- Surry Community college
- Vance-Granville community college
- Randolph community college
- Pitt Community college
- Fayetteville Technical Community college
1. Lenoir Community College:
This is the top online college to get a certification for medical office assistants. It is located in Kinston, North Carolina, and is affordable.
This institute offers a 15-credit fully online course on medical coding, billing, and insurance certificate.
These courses educate on administrative and financial management.
The program also covers the terminologies and vocabulary that you might encounter in your professional career as you work in various institutes. You are also educated on the fundamentals of medical billing, procedural coding, and diagnostic coding.
To apply all you need do is complete the online application form and submit an official school transcript. Lenoir community college also offers various financial aids.
For more information visit the link:
2. Craven Community College:
This is another college that offers top medical office assistant certification. It is located in New Bern, North Carolina.
You are given the opportunity to complete a fully remote curriculum through Moodle or create a hybrid learning experience by taking some classes at the school’s campus.
Students can either enroll in a 14-credit general medical office or 15-credit medical billing and coding track.
They can also choose to go for the 18-credit patient service representative certificate and gain knowledge about healthcare customer relations and office editing.
Craven community college accepts any aspirant with a high school diploma or equivalent. They also have an affordable tuition plan.
For more information visit the link.
3. Gaston College:
Gaston College is one of the largest community colleges that offer top medical office assistant certification located in Dallas, North Carolina.
The institute offers remote learning opportunities through blackboard.
You can enroll in their medical office assistant certification program and learn the computer and managerial skills necessary for a professional career as a medical office assistant.
In order to earn this certification as a medical office assistant, you have to complete comprehensive courses in keyboarding and medical terminologies. You would also be educated on insurance and billing with a focus on third-party payers and form preparation.
Medical office assistant program certification in Gaston college also offers you a medical-legal issues class that encompasses the legal requirements for practice, liability concerns, and relationships between provider, patient, and office personnel.
However, to apply for the medical office assistant certification program in Gaston, you would have to complete a residency determination form and an online application plus your official school transcripts. They also offer financial aids.
For more information visit the link.
4. Wayne Community College:
Wayne Community College is located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. You can enroll for an online medical office administration certification. You would be trained to schedule appointments and complete insurance claims.
Wayne Community College offers a general certification in medical office administration as well as specialized tracks for medical scribing and medical insurance.
You could also choose to enroll in the dental office administration program which is a 17-credit course and learn billing, coding procedure, and other terminologies and areas related to the dental field.
All you require is a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Wayne Community College also offers a flexible tuition scheme as well as scholarships.
For more information visit the link.
5. Wake Technical Community College:
Wake Technical Community College is the largest school in North Carolina that delivers remote classes using blackboard and is among the top colleges that offer medical office assistant program certification.
This is an 18-credit course that would prepare you for entry-level employment.
This program develops you in practical text entry and spreadsheet entry. As an online student, you would be required to take two medical office terminology classes.
At the end of the program, you would have to complete daily challenges encountered by a medical office administration.
As an applicant, you would be required to fill an online admission form as well as submit your school transcript.
For more information visit the link
6. Surry Community College:
Surry Community College offers diverse educational programs as well as the 17-credit medical office administration program certification.
They offer you two options of either a generalist curriculum or a medical billing and insurance course. The courses required include keyboarding, office editing, and medical terminology.
Surry Community College also offers a 44-credit diploma or a 120-credit bachelor’s degree in medical office administration.
They offer low tuition as well as financial aid opportunities.
Read: 15 Best Medical Schools for Orthopaedic Surgeons
7. Vance-Granville Community College:
Vance-Granville Community College is located in Henderson, North Carolina.
They have a graduation rate of 43% and offer distance education through Moodle.
You can apply for Medical office assistant certification in this institute which is divided into 3 options based on your preference.
The level one certificate program offers you knowledge on medical terminologies and office procedures, the second level certificate program offers advanced knowledge on customer service as regards healthcare laws.
Vance-Granville Community College also offers you medical coding specialist certificate giving you the skills to oversee information systems in hospitals, insurance companies, and laboratories.
Vance-Granville Community College offers an open-door admission that only requires you to complete the online form and apply for financial aid.
For more information visit the link
8. Randolph Community College:
Randolph Community College offers an online certificate in medical office administration that gives you entry-level knowledge of the profession.
It also offers a remote learning experience through Moodle or a hybrid where you come by the campus a few times a week.
Randolph Community College also offers you, after graduation, the option to also go for an associate or bachelor’s degree.
The medical office administration certificate program is an 18-credit course with classes like medical terminologies, legal issues, insurance, and billing procedures. It also equips you with skills on how to use and maintain office equipment.
Randolph Community College also offers a medical office administration diploma program with 36 credits.
For more information visit the link
9. Pitt Community College:
Pitt Community College offers affordable academic programs and technical training of which one of these courses is the medical office administration certification program.
For online students, you would need to complete classes like office software applications and electronic health records, advanced coding methodologies for insurance claims as well as updates with regards to HIPAA regulations.
To top it off, the program is rounded off with a stimulating experience where you are made to work in a real-life environment.
Pitt Community College also offers a lot of scholarship opportunities.
For more information visit the link HERE
10. Fayetteville Technical Community College:
Fayetteville Technical Community College is our last top college that offers a medical office assistant certification program.
Located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, it offers medical office administration certification programs remotely using blackboard.
It also offers certificates for electronic billing, medical coding, and dental office specialist. These certificate tracks include 17-credits which most candidates finish in two semesters.
Fayetteville Technical Community College offers financial aids and a variety of scholarships. All you need to apply is a high school diploma or GED certificate, then you can go ahead and fill the online application form.
For more information visit the link
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT CERTIFICATION
It is not compulsory for you to be a certified medical office assistant to get a job but being certified gives you an edge over others and opens up better opportunities for you
The CMAA covers working as a medical administration assistant, a medical office assistant, healthcare structure and organization, medical law and ethics, HealthCare documentation, healthcare reimbursement, medical office management, practice finances, and medical office procedures
As a medical office assistant, you can move to become a medical office manager. With further experience, you can also be employed in specialist practice or become a supervisor or you might choose to become an educator in the field
For a full-time student, you could finish the program in less than a year.
Certificate programs are not as hard as an associate or degree program. They are shorter and more flexible.
CONCLUSION
To become a medical office assistant certification is a choice you would never regret cause of the enormous job opportunities that are open to you.
What’s more, is you get to be part of the life-saving team of health professionals without the hassles of medical school while making some good money out of it.
