California Medical Assistants


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HIM & Coding Home Exam review guides * Coding career A typical day Coding credentials ICD-9-CM books CPT books Textbooks p.1 Textbooks p.2 Resources p.1 Resources p.2 Dictionaries A&P, Pathophysiology HIM books E-books ICD-10 Cancer registry Physician practice Ophthalmology Home care coding LTC coding Coding links Visitor comments Sitemap MA's & Eye Techs (archived pages) MA's - California MA's - front office MA's - typical day MA's - ophthalmology MAs - more oph books MA's - optometry MA's - links Report broken links.	California Medical Assistants In addition to being a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) and a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), I am also a California Certified Medical Assistant - Administrative & Clinical (CCMA-AC). I know how to perform injections, EKGs, lab tests, and many other procedures, and not just how to code them! Taking someone's blood pressure manually and accurately is a lot harder than it looks. Many medical assisting and nursing students struggle to learn this skill. :o) If you are a people-person, like the medical field, and enjoy helping people, medical assisting might be a good career for you. Medical Assistants, especially back office assistants, have a lot more people contact than coders. They also get to do a variety of tasks and move around, unlike coders who spent their time sitting in front of computers. Training If you are looking for a Medical Assisting program, check your local community colleges first. Many of them offer very good programs (certificate or associates degree) for a lot less than private health career schools. Secondly, contact local adult education schools in your area and ask if they offer MA programs. My last choice would be a private school because of the high cost. Private schools typically charge about $5,000-$20,000 for MA training. Quality of these schools varies greatly, so be aware. Also, be sure that the program you choose includes an internship or externship to get some hands-on experience. I went through a community college Medical Assisting program. We covered both administrative (front office) and clinical (back office) skills. This program was excellent! Job Titles Medical Assistants may hold many different titles. Some alternative career titles are Autopsy Assistant, CCMA (California Certified Medical Assistant), Certified Coding Specialist, Certified Ophthalmic Technician, Chiropractor/Chiropractic Assistant, Clinical Assistant, Clinical Medical Assistant, CMA (Certified Medical Assistant), CPC (Certified Professional Coder), Doctor’s Assistant, Doctor’s Helper, Health Unit Clerk, Medical Billing Coder, Medical Office Assistant, Medical Office Technician, Morgue Attendant, Ocular Care Aide, Ophthalmic Aide, Ophthalmic Assistant, Optometric Aide, Optometric Assistant, Orthopedic Assistant, Orthopedic Cast Specialist, Physician's Aide, Podiatric Assistant, RMA (Registered Medical Assistant), Sleep Technician, Sterile Processing Technician, Surgery Scheduler, and Visual Training Aide. California Associations California Medical Assistants Association (CMAA) - CMAA is the leading professional organization for medical assistants in the state of California. CMAA was formed in 1954. CMAA offers continuing education credits for recertification through educational seminars and their publication "The California Medical Assistant". CMAA California Certifying Board for Medical Assistants (CCBMA) - CCBMA administers the CCMA credential exams (see below under certifications). CCBMA has been administering these exams since 1990. CCBMA Medical Board of California - The mission of the Medical Board of California is to protect healthcare consumers through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians, surgeons, and certain allied healthcare professions. Medical Assistants are not licensed or registered by the State of California, but may obtain "certified" status through private agencies approved by the Medical Board of California. Medical Board of California Medical Board of California - FAQs about Medical Assistants Medical Board of California - Certifying agencies for MAs Medical Board of California - MAs in ophthalmology and optometry California Certifications The Medical Board of California recognizes three Medical Assistant certifications (credentials): 1. California Certified Medical Assistant CCMA-A (California Certified Medical Assistant - Administrative) CCMA-C (California Certified Medical Assistant - Clinical) CCMA-AC (California Certified Medical Assistant - Administrative and Clinical) California specific credentials exams are administered by the California Certifying Board for Medical Assistants (see CCBMA above under associations) student must be a graduate of an accredited MA school or have work experience paper based or computerized exam depending on which of the three credentials you desire, you can take the administrative exam with 275 multiple choice questions, clinical exam with 300 questions, or administrative + clinical exam with 400 questions the computerized exam is proctored by Thompson Prometric - find a computer testing center near you I took the computerized exam because it gives the scores immediately after the exam recertify every five years with 60 CEUs 2. Certified Medical Assistant CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) national credential test is administered by American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) the paper exam is offered three times a year in January, June and October 300 questions student must be a graduate of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) approved program unfortunately, many of these schools are expensive private schools recertify every five years with 60 CEUs 3. Registered Medical Assistant RMA (Registered Medical Assistant) national credential exam is administered by American Medical Technologists (AMT) paper based or computer exam with Pearson Vue 200-210 multiple choice questions student must be a graduate of an accredited MA school, have formal medical training through US Armed Forces, or have five years of work experience Occupational Profile The employment of medical assistants is expected to grow 35.7% in California and by 52.1% nationally during 2004-2014. However, the new 2008-09 Occupational Outlook Handbook has adjusted the national growth to 35.4%. CA Employment Development Department - MAs in California America's Career Info Net - MAs in California See also Occupational Outlook Handbook - 2008-2009 edition, medical assistants Fastest Growing Occupations 2006-2016 - by US Dept of Labor, MA's are now #8 of all occupations (they were #3 earlier), home health aides are #2 and #3 (home health care services is also listed as #3 fastest growing industry) Visit also the front office MAs, ophthalmology MAs, and physician office coding pages. References: California Labormarket Info http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/ CCBMA http://www.ccbma.org/ CMAA http://abc.eznettools.net/californiacetigying/index.html Medical Board of California http://www.medbd.ca.gov/ OOH http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm Note: Due to lack of time, this page was archived in 2008. It is not updated anymore.
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