While certification is not mandatory, when it comes to landing a job, those who have gone the extra mile to earn their medical assistant certification have the upper hand. Without it, the chances of getting hired are considerably reduced. Just take a look at the job ads. You’ll see that almost every medical assistant job listing reads something along the lines of: “Must be certified and/or have x-years of experience.”
What is Medical Assistant Certification?
In short, medical assistant certification represents a standard of competency within the medical assisting profession. It is a credential that provides verification of your aptitude, knowledge and abilities. It is an earmark that employers regard as a trustworthy indication of your qualifications.
Is Medical Assistant Certification Required?
Medical assistant certification is generally NOT required here in the United States. While it is mostly voluntary, it is the employer who makes it a job qualification requirement. With the limited amount of jobs available and the stampede of candidates applying for these jobs, employers have the luxury of being able to have their pick of the litter so to speak. Unfortunately this leaves those that are not certified standing in the unemployment line a lot longer.
Despite the fact that certification is voluntary, there are some states in particular that mandate it. For instance, Georgia requires certification of medical assistants who perform point of care testing and in California certification is required to draw blood.
Also since medical liability is an ongoing concern, physicians want reassurance that the medical assistants they hire are competent and have the technical skills that are essential for proper patient care. In order to keep theses medical liability risks down, some insurance agencies actually require medical assistants that work for the physicians and health care centers they insure to be certified.
Advantages of Medical Assistant Certification
Earning medical assistant certification has its advantages. For starters, employers will view you with a higher opinion.
Certification also gives you a leg-up when competing against other medical assistants for the same job opportunities.
It also means better job security and opens the door to greater overall career advancement opportunities such as clinical supervisor, office manager and many other administrative support occupations. Some certified medical assistants even move on to become teachers working in the educational sector of the profession.
Another advantage is better pay. As a certified medical assistant, starting salaries and yearly pay increases tend to be higher than non-certified medical assistants.
Is It Possible to Get a Job as a Medical Assistant without Certification?
Just to reiterate, certification is completely voluntary. You do not have to be a certified medical assistant to get a job. However, the job market is very competitive and more employers are requiring certification. It is certain that a certified medical assistant is more likely to more overall employment opportunities than a non-certified medical assistant. Regardless of whether you are a recent graduate or someone with prior medical assisting work experience, without certification you are going to have a difficult time finding a job without it.
Nevertheless, if you are not certified here are a few things you can do, aside from taking the certification exam, to help increase your credibility as a medical assistant to potential employers.
- Continue with your education. Stay up to date on medical and health care advancements. Earn a certificate in phlebotomy, take advanced classes in physiology or get licensed to perform ultrasound procedures, X-rays or EKGs. Take it upon yourself to continue your education throughout your entire medical assisting career.
- Read and study professional journals and complete the continuing education units (CEU) that are included with each issue. Certified medical assistants are required to complete a certain number of CEUs each year. So if you want to keep up with your counter-parts, CEUs are a great way to build up your knowledge and skill level.
- Attend lectures and conferences. These are great skill and knowledge building opportunities. Not only does it look good on your resume, but it also demonstrates that you are serious about your profession and continuing education.
If you are serious about your profession and want more pay and better career advancement opportunities, consider earning your medical assistant certification credential.