Please Help Me Understand

U.S.A. Indiana

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I am looking at going to a school that offers a Medical Assistant program. I read that the only way you can take the CMA Certification Exam is if you go to a school that has CAAHEP or ABHES accrediting. The school I want to go to only has ACICS accrediting. So I called my college and they said with there program I would earn an Associates degree and that it was not neccesary to take the exam to become certified. IS THIS RIGHT? Is it just an option to take the CMA Certification Exam or do I have to, to be able to get a job??? I don't want to waste big bucks and a lot of time to take a program that won't allow me to work when I'm done. Somebody please help me. Is there a difference between a MA or a CMA.:( :( :(

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Specializes in trauma/surg.

Sorry, don't really know, but I'd NEVER take the school's word for it. EVER. You need to do more research. I would go to the websites that do the accrediting and see what they have to say. Let us know what happens.

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Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.
I am looking at going to a school that offers a Medical Assistant program. I read that the only way you can take the CMA Certification Exam is if you go to a school that has CAAHEP or ABHES accrediting. The school I want to go to only has ACICS accrediting. So I called my college and they said with there program I would earn an Associates degree and that it was not neccesary to take the exam to become certified. IS THIS RIGHT? Is it just an option to take the CMA Certification Exam or do I have to, to be able to get a job??? I don't want to waste big bucks and a lot of time to take a program that won't allow me to work when I'm done. Somebody please help me. Is there a difference between a MA or a CMA.:( :( :(

Here are a couple of sites that may help you answer the questions you have http://pub10.bravenet.com/forum/792761550, http://www.certmedassistant.com/.

I was a certifed medical assistant before I became a nurse. If a nurse is what your aspirations are then bypass the medical assisting and go directly for nursing. Just my 2 cents.

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Specializes in OB/GYN.

Yes you still need to be certified. Most won't care if you have an AA degree. BUT they want you to be certified. Most look for RMA or CMA. I am a MA in OB/GYN office. Noone cared 2cents if I had a degree they only looked for that certification.

Robyn

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