Your career as a medical assistant starts here.
Clear, no-nonsense guides to becoming a medical assistant — from choosing the right school to passing the CMA exam and landing your first job. Plus a directory of accredited programs in every state.
Are you a prospective student?
Everything you need to decide whether medical assisting is right for you — and how to get started.
The full path — training, certification and your first job.
Read more Is it for me?Am I Cut Out for Medical Assisting?Honest pros, cons and day-to-day realities before you commit.
Read more PayHow Much Can I Make as a CMA?Salary expectations and how certification changes your earnings.
Read more SchoolsThe Best Medical Assistant SchoolsCompare accredited programs and find the right fit.
Read more Online optionsNeed Flexibility? Online MA ProgramsLearn on your schedule with an accredited online program.
Read more CostScholarships & Grants for MAsWays to pay for medical assisting school.
Read moreCertification pays. Medical assistants who earn certification see far better job opportunities — and significantly higher wages — than those without a CMA credential.
About the CMA examJust graduated school?
Turn your training into a job offer — resumes, interviews, externships and first-role advice.
How to land your first role without a track record.
Read more ExternshipsIs an Externship Really That Important?What externships are worth and how to make them count.
Read more InterviewsAce Your First MA InterviewCommon questions and how to answer them with confidence.
Read more ResumeA Sample MA Resume TemplateBuild a resume that gets you the interview.
Read more CertificationNo Certification — Is That OK?Where you can work uncertified, and where you can't.
Read more CredentialsBecome an RMA Instead of a CMAThe difference between the two credentials.
Read moreWhat the pros say
Working medical assistants and nurses share what they wish they'd known.
“Calling yourself a nurse when you're a medical assistant isn't just wrong — in most states it's a crime. Know your title and own it.”
RN, BSN · Read more
“A medical assisting career does have its cons — but going in with clear eyes is exactly what makes it work long-term.”
CMA, EMT · Read more
“Just graduated? Let's get you ready for that first interview — it's more about preparation than experience.”
MA, CNA, EMT · Read more
“Like working with children? Pediatric medical assisting is one of the most rewarding corners of the field.”
Pediatric MA · Read more
Browse medical assistant schools by state
Explore accredited medical assisting programs near you.