There are several organizations that set the standards for the profession of medical assisting. These organizations and their role in the profession of medical assisting are described in the following sections.
Students who attend accredited programs of medical assisting can feel assured that they will receive a good education.
American Association of Medical Assistants
The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) was founded in 1956 to promote the profession of medical assisting. The AAMA has since promoted the CMA credential as the minimum standard for entry to practice and established the national CMA certification program. They administer the CMA examination to graduates of accredited programs and also publish the journal CMA Today.American Medical Technologists
The American Medical Technologists (AMT) organization formed the RMA program and offers national RMA certification to eligible candidates who successfully pass the RMA examination. The AMT offers credentialing examinations for other health-care-related fields as well, including certified office laboratory technicians (COLT), phlebotomy technicians (RPT), medical technologists (RMT), and medical laboratory technicians (RMLT). The AMT also publishes the journal AMT Events.
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| Professional and Regulatory Organizations For Medical Assistants |
Accrediting Organizations
Students who are interested in attending a school of medical assisting should carefully consider their options. Consideration should be given to attending accredited programs that have met the accrediting organization’s high standards for faculty qualifications, facilities, curriculum, clinical experience, and other factors. Students who attend accredited programs can feel assured that they will receive a good education. The two organizations that confer accreditation to medical assistant programs include the CAAHEP and the ABHES.Over 700 programs are currently accredited by these two organizations in the United States.Students who attend accredited programs of medical assisting can feel assured that they will receive a good education.