Difference between CMA & RMA

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Hello folks. I hope someone can help me out.

I am a RN in a large family practice office. This week I have been orienting a new CMA who says she came from a smaller office then ours- one or two drs I think. We were talking about calling prescri ptions into pharmacies & she asked which controlled substances she would be allowed to call it. I honestly did not know, & asked another CMA standing nearby. She told us 'I can call anything in my Dr wants me to call in'.

Later on that day I asked my supervisor if there were any 'dos and dont's '. Supervisor told me that CMAs cannot call any meds in but RMAs can.

Now I am confused. What is the difference between CMA & RMA? Don't you have to pass a exam for both of them?

Specializes in OBGYN.

**NOT BEING UGLY HERE BUT JUST STATING THE FACTS. DO NOT LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE TO BECOME CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED AS A MEDICAL ASSISTANT**It does not matter if you have an Associates Degree in order to sit for the AAMA (CMA) exam or for the AMT (RMA) exam. I took the AAMA exam in 2006 and I am a Certified Medical Assistant through the AAMA. Yes I have an Associate's degree BUT I have a DIPLOMA in Medical Assisting. The school that I went to, along with many others here in NC, is a CAAHEP accredited school. Here is the proof : http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited-Program/ In fact, most of the schools only offer a diploma in Medical Assisting, according to the website.

I attended Mitchell Community College in Statesville, NC which is fully approved. The majority of the CMAs that I work with minus 2 have a Diploma in Medical Assisitng and all took the AAMA exam. We are ALL eligible to also take the AMT exam. Nowhere does it state that you have to hold an Associates degree in Medical Assisting on either website. :)

"Graduates of medical assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) are eligible to take the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam." http://www.aama-ntl.org/medassisting/caahep_prgs.aspx

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ncNurse2b715 said:
**NOT BEING UGLY HERE BUT JUST STATING THE FACTS. DO NOT LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE TO BECOME CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED AS A MEDICAL ASSISTANT**It does not matter if you have an Associates Degree in order to sit for the AAMA (CMA) exam or for the AMT (RMA) exam. I took the AAMA exam in 2006 and I am a Certified Medical Assistant through the AAMA. Yes I have an Associate's degree BUT I have a DIPLOMA in Medical Assisting. The school that I went to, along with many others here in NC, is a CAAHEP accredited school. Here is the proof : http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited-Program/ In fact, most of the schools only offer a diploma in Medical Assisting, according to the website.

I attended Mitchell Community College in Statesville, NC which is fully approved. The majority of the CMAs that I work with minus 2 have a Diploma in Medical Assisitng and all took the AAMA exam. We are ALL eligible to also take the AMT exam. Nowhere does it state that you have to hold an Associates degree in Medical Assisting on either website. ?

"Graduates of medical assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) are eligible to take the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam." http://www.aama-ntl.org/medassisting/caahep_prgs.aspx

That's the way I read that information too. Otherwise, why would all of these for-profit career college MA courses be available? They do not offer associate's degrees for their MA programs.

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Specializes in OBGYN.

caahep accredited

mitchell community college - statesville, nc

website: www.mitchellcc.edu

medical assistant program

219 north academy street

mooresville , nc - 28115-3106

degrees: diploma

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Specializes in OBGYN.

Thank you caliotter3 :)

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Thanks for the example, ncNurse2b. While nice to have an AS to go along with the diploma and a CMA or RMA designation, it is not a requirement.

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hello everyone....I reside in Florida, and to my knowledge and facts. We do have 2 years Medical Assisting programs that upon graduation you receive an A.S. degree, which places you in the category to take the CMA exam. The RMA exam does not require that you have a degree, you can either have gone to a technical school and graduated with a diplopma/certificate, than you can sit for the test or you can have a A.S. degree and still sit for the RMA, it just places you in a different category as far as creditialing. I have worked as a CMA for 5 years now and I have written prescriptions, called in prescriptions and the whole nine yards, but of course with the doctors approval.

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Specializes in OBGYN.

Yes. I depends on the location and school requirements. But like I said, I graduated from an accredited program that only offered the diploma in medical assisting. Visit the CAAHEP website. Many of these accredited community colleges offer the diploma in medical assisting which allows you to take the certification. I would not make this up. This is directly from the AAMA website:

"Q: Am I eligible to take the exam?

A: To qualify for the exam, you must be in one of three enrollment categories:

Category 1: Completing students and recent graduates of CAAHEP or ABHES accredited medical assisting programs

Completing students may take the exam no more than 30 days prior to completing their formal education, including a practicum.

Recent graduates are those who apply for the exam within 12 months of graduation.

Category 2: Nonrecent graduates of a CAAHEP or ABHES accredited medical assisting program

Nonrecent graduates are those who apply for the exam more than 12 months after graduation.

Category 3: CMA (AAMA) recertificant

You must have previously passed the exam and been awarded the CMA (AAMA) credential."

Accredited Program Search - CAAHEP

These are diploma programs, including the community college that I attended that offers medical assisting diplomas. I have my AAMA Certification card. I earned my diploma in medical assisting and took the AAMA exam 6 months later. I doubt that they would allow me to take the exam, along with the hundreds of other students that had the diploma, if we were not eligible.

For the record, ***IT IS NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE IN MEDICAL ASSISTING TO SIT FOR THE AAMA EXAM*** You do, however, have to graduate from a recognized & accredited community college OR have experience to take the exam.

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I work in admissions at a college and know this topic is confusing for many people. You actually do not have to have an Associates degree to become a CMA or RMA. When the above referenced site mentions graduation from a college it doesn't say "Associates Degree." Some colleges, like mine, offer program certification and diplomas as well as Associates, Bachelors and Masters Degrees, (there's a big difference between certification and degree programs). I graduate MA "certified" students without "Associates" degrees all the time and then aid them in obtaining their CMA and RMA certificates, again, without a "degree" of any kind.

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Another example, similar in nature: A friend received a diploma (or certificate) from an LPN program at a local community college. She continued at the college to receive an associate's degree. Completing the associate's degree requirements was not required to sit for the LPN licensing exam. She had her LPN license prior to graduating from the school with the degree. Same type of situation, slightly different specifics.

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chowlover said:
Hello folks. I hope someone can help me out.

I am a RN in a large family practice office. This week I have been orienting a new CMA who says she came from a smaller office then ours- one or two drs I think. We were talking about calling prescri ptions into pharmacies & she asked which controlled substances she would be allowed to call it. I honestly did not know, & asked another CMA standing nearby. She told us 'I can call anything in my Dr wants me to call in'.

Later on that day I asked my supervisor if there were any 'dos and dont's '. Supervisor told me that CMAs cannot call any meds in but RMAs can.

Now I am confused. What is the difference between CMA & RMA? Don't you have to pass a exam for both of them?

I finished college in December 2010 and am a CMA. I dont have any experience, but I think we can call in most stuff. I was offered this NA position at a hospital first, so I took it. Now of course I hear from others.

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btw if you sit for the cma test through the aama and pass it, you do not have to sit for the rma test, all you have to do is provide proof that you sat for the cma test and passed it to be certified by amt as an rma. or atleast this is what i'm reading on their site.

straight from amt's website

Quote

e. applicant has passed a generalist medical assistant certification examination offered by another medical assisting certification agency (provided that exam has been approved for this purpose by the amt board of directors) and who has been working in the medical assisting field for the past three out of five years and who has met all other amt training and experience requirements (no further examination required).

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Both certifications require you to sit for an exam. However, both are accredited by different groups. Different states prefer different cert. To sit for both exams a person has to pass a accredited MA training program and provide proof as well as the transcript when applying. As far as I know there is no difference in duties, but thing vary slightly state to state.

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