Continuing Education Requirements for Medical Assistants
Most well-paying medical assistant positions at prestigious institutions require national Medical Assistant certification. There are 2 main certifying entities in the United States for Medical Assistants. These are the AMT (American Medical Technologists) and AAMA (American Association of Medical Assistants). After completing your education as a
American Medical Technologists (AMT)
AMT offers national certification as a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA). In order to receive this certification, applicants must first meet
1. Graduation within the last 4 years from a medical assisting training program accredited by the US Department of Education with a minimum of 720 total program clock hours and at least 160 clinical externship hours.
2. Graduation from a Medical Assisting Training Program from the United States Armed Forces within the last 4 years.
3. Work experience as a Medical Assistant for at least 5 out of the last 7 years and with no more than 2 years of that experience as a Medical Assisting Instructor. Proof of a current CPR card is also required.
4. Current employment as a Medical Assisting Instructor for a minimum of 5 years after having completed a course of instruction in a health care discipline related to Medical Assisting.
After eligibility is established, applicants for certification as a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) must apply for certification at a cost of $120.
Applicants must then submit all appropriate documentation and can then begin to study for the national certification exam.
A practice certification exam is available at cost of $30.
After passing the exam, applicants must pay an annual renewal fee of $50 and show a continuing competency by submitting 30 points of continuing education every three years.
Certified RMA’s can use the AM Trax online system which automatically logs in completed continuing education credits and once the required number of continuing education courses is reached, the computer system automatically marks your file as compliant with AMT guidelines.
Continuing Education opportunities for Medical Assistant through AMT include the AMT Annual Convention which lasts for 4 days, State societies’ seminars and meetings, AMT ON Demand Courses and CE Online Packages.
AMT On Demand Courses
American Medical Technologists (AMT) https://www.americanmedtech.org/ offers on demand courses that are available 24/7. Each course is usually one hour in length and has 1 hour of continuing education (CE) credit. All courses end with a comprehensive quiz that requires a passing score in order to obtain credit. Credit can only be claimed once for each course. All CE courses are offered at a discount for AMT members.
List of AMT On-Demand Courses & Packages
- Vitamin D – Why All the Fuss?
- PSA, Free PSA, Complex PSA and Prostate Cancer
- Fellowship: You Choose Your Path
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving for Medical Assistants
- Collection of Diagnostic Venous Blood Samples Standards Update
- Special Needs of the Geriatric Patient
- Eating Disorders
- The Challenges of Antimicrobial Resistance
- Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
- Using Real Life Case Studies to Promote Critical Thinking
- Opioid Epidemic
- Changes in Healthcare Demands Increase the Need of Point of Care Test
- Understanding the Opioid Public Health Crisis
- Carbapenem -Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE): The Latest on Superbugs
- D-Dimer and its Application in Suspected Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
- Alzheimer’s Disease: A Closer Look at the Disease, medications and Research
- Pre-Analytical Variables in the Coag Lab: Why Does it Matter?
- Thinking Critically About Critical Thinking
- Biomarkers in Heart Failure and Acute Kidney Injury
- Emerging Infectious Diseases of the Twenty-First Century
- Adult and Pediatric Immunization Case Studies
- Allied Health Professionals Testifying as Trial Witnesses
- Drug Resistance in Gram-Negative Organisms
- Essentials for Transformation – the Journey to Becoming a Patient Centered Health Care Home
- Is Your OSHA Plan Up to Date?
- Clinical Microbiology – Case Studies
- Molecular Testing – “Changing the Game”
- Overcoming Adversity
- Genetics of Myeloid Malignancies
- Global Travel, Global Malaria
- Transfusion Medicine: Back to the Future
- Molecular Methods in Microbiology
- Urinary Crystals: Formation, Identification and Connotation
- Wound Care Assessment – Basic Components and When to Consider Using a Specialist
- Blending Learning Styles and Teaching Methods
- Laboratory Response to MERS in the United States
- Colorectal Cancer Screening: Early Detection Can Lead to Prevention
- The Vampire Diaries: The Tale of Healthcare Acquired Anemia
- DNA in Forensic Investigation
- Understanding and Identifying Renal Disease
- Our Journey From 5 to 6 Part Differential
- Mold: A Medical Mycologists Perspective
- Managing Your Way Through Change
- Transfusion Support of the Hematology-Oncology Patient
- DNA Mutations
- CAP/CLIA Requirements for New Method Validation
- Promoting Good Point-of-Care Practices for Waived Testing
- Medical Assisting: Are You Doing What You are Supposed to be Doing?
- Patient Medical Conditions That Affect Dental Treatment
- Laboratory Quality Control Based Risk Management
- Stress Management in the Workplace
- ECG and its Use for Diagnosing Cardiac Conditions
- Lean 6 Sigma Implementing 5S in the Laboratory
- Leadership and Mentorship
- Update on Aspirin and Plavix Sensitivity and Resistance Testing
- Dealing with Difficult People
- Medical Errors in Healthcare Settings
- Medical Errors/HIPAA (HITECH Act)
List of AMT CE Online Packages
AMT also offers CE online packages which are modules containing multiple specific CE courses. Some of the Medical Assisting Packages available include:
Medical Assisting Package II – Member price $60.00 – Non-Member price $180.00 – This package has a total of 12.5 CE points which are awarded when all of the 15 article quizzes are passed. It consists of:
- Step 392 – Asymptomatic and symptomatic Urinary Tract Infections: Magnitude, Special Settings
and Diagnostic Testing - Step 394 – Discovering Medical Nemesis
- Step 397 – Infectious Mononucleosis: A Brief Review
- Step 405 – Serum Biomarkers of
chronic Kidney Disease - Step 407 – Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia: Preventative Intervention for Syncope
- Step 415 – Drawing Blood from Drug Addicts
- Step 416 – Pancreatitis
- Step 417 – Pediatric Acute Hematogenous Osteomyelitis
- Step 419 – Identifying Chronic Kidney Disease: An overview of the Equations for Estimating Impaired Renal Function
- Step 426 – Respiratory Viruses in Young Children
- Step 427 – Preventing
Healthcare Associated Infections - Step 431 – Probiotics – Understanding Our Inside Story
- Step 432 – Cystic Fibrosis: Basics, Testing, Treatment
- Step 434 – Treatment For
Age Related Macular Degeneration - Step 436 – Zika Virus, Past
and Present - Additional CE online packages include:
- Medical Assisting Package – Member price $93.00 – Non-Member Price – $279.00
- Medical Laboratory Package – Member Price – $60.00 – Non-Member Price – $180.00
- Management Package – Member Price – $48.00 – Non-Member Price – $144.00
- Lab Management Package – Member Price – $40.50 – Non-Management Price – $121.50
American Association of Medical Assistants
The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) certifies Medical Assistants nationally as “Certified Medical Assistants” (CMA).
1. The AAMA requires graduation from an accredited postsecondary medical assisting program which is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or the Council for Higher Education (CHEA) Accreditation.
2. Only graduates of medical assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) are eligible to take the CMA Certification Exam.
3. Recertification can be accomplished either by paying for and taking the recertification exam or by taking continuing education courses.
4. 60 recertification points are needed to become recertified.
5. 10 of these points are needed to be completed in general, administrative or clinical content areas.
List of AAMA Courses
- An Interprofessional School-based Teams’ Approach to Caring for Lilly A-Second Grader With Cerebral Palsy – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00
- Basic Patient Positioning: What You
need to Know – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00 - Child Abuse -1.00 AAMA CEU – $12.00
- Cultural and Linguistic Competence for Today’s Healthcare Professional: Part 4 – Effective Communication With-Limited-English- Proficient Patients – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00
- Depression and Suicide: Risk Factors, Diagnosis
and Treatment – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00 - HIPPA and Confidentiality Practice May Change, But principles Endure – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $12.00
- Infection Control for Healthcare Professionals (Not for NY) – 3.00 AAMA CEU – $20.00
- Infusion Review for Certified Medical Assistants: Devices and Equipment – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00
- Infusion Review for Certified Medical Assistants: Quality Improvement – Preventing Infections – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00
- Latex Allergy Alert – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $12.00
- Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting in Iowa – 2.00 AAMA CEU – $25.00
- Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting in PA – 2.00 AAMA CEU – $25.00
- Mind Your Manners… Multiculturally – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00
- Pace Yourself: Temporary Epicardial Pacing – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00
- Pharmacology for Medical Assistants -1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00
- Population Health: Small Steps Creating Greater Reach – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00
- Weathering the Electrical Storm of AF – 1.00 AAMA CEU – $10.00
It is critical to complete the required number of continuing education requirements to maintain your national certification as a Medical Assistant whether as an RMA or as a CMA. When applying for most prestigious Medical Assisting positions at the best facilities, you will be required to supply your current credentials to demonstrate that you are in good standing with your certifying organization. Creating a plan to complete all required continuing education courses within the recommended time period before the recertification period ends will ensure continued national certification as a highly qualified and competent Medical Assistant.