Medical Assistant Programs in Ohio
The best thing to do if interested in this career is to become a certified medical assistant (CMA) or Registered Medical Assistant (RMA), which means getting certified by the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) or the American Medical Technologists association. While this is not required in Ohio, it is what employers look for and what more and more will expect going forward. The first step toward becoming a CMA or RMA in Ohio is to enroll in a medical assisting program to gain the valuable vocational training and prepare to take the certification exam. There are many medical assistant programs in Ohio, and they generally take around six to nine months to complete. They might vary by school, but they should be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) if you want to be eligible for the CMA exam. If your goal is to become certified as an RMA through the American Medical Technologist association, then graduation from an ABHES, CAAHEP or nationally accredited institution’s medical assistant program is required. You will find schools and medical assisting programs that meet these requirements listed below.
Medical Assistant Training Programs in Ohio
Becoming a CMA means you will gain some technical and clinical training as well as clerical and administrative instruction. Learning how to assess a patient, take vital signs, take blood are some things that you might learn to do for this position. Additionally, learning about record keeping, communicating with insurance companies, and interacting with patients are important aspects of training as well. Once you’ve completed the program, the final step is passing the exam. This is given by the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants.
The mean salary for a medical assistant in Ohio is usually between $25,000 and $30,000, with the top 10% earning over $33,000. As with most positions, experience, employer, and location can affect your salary. The outlook for medical assistants is very good, as the healthcare industry in general is growing at a rapid pace to meet the needs of a growing aging population. Support staff like medical assistants will be in demand even more as healthcare providers look to operate facilities in the most cost-efficient manner possible. You can also join the Ohio State Society of Medical Assistants for further guidance, career development and networking. Make the first step toward this career by finding a certified training program that is right for you and get started on a promising career in the rapidly expanding healthcare field.
The people who were researching medical assistant programs in Ohio also took a look at the Medical Billing and Coding programs in Ohio to learn about the job projections, salary data and schools offering billing and coding as well as related programs.
(Sources: AAMA, CAAHEP, ABHES, Ohio State Society of Medical Assistants)
