5 Things to Know About Medical Assistant Diplomas

There are five things you need to know about Hunter Business School’s Medical Assistant diploma program.

1. The Medical Assistant diploma program is fully accredited and allows graduates to take one of three optional certification exams.
2. Students have an 84 percent chance of finding a job after completing the Medical Assistant diploma program. Certified medical assistants are likelier to have higher salaries than those medical assistants who are not certified.
3. There are a wide variety of jobs you can apply for as a Medical Assistant diploma program graduate.
4. The Medical Assistant diploma program can be completed within as little as 7½ months.
5. The Medical Assistant diploma program offers 14 in-depth classes, in 910 hours, to learn everything including clinical skills, pharmacology, keyboarding, blood collection techniques, medical terminology, EKG testing, and billing and provides an externship that lasts 160 hours.

The Medical Assistant diploma program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

This medical assistant diploma program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Hunter Business School is the only program on Long Island that is accredited by CAAHEP. Graduates are eligible to sit for any one of three optional certification exams.

• Certified Medical Assistant Certification Exam This credential represents a medical assistant who has been credentialed through the certifying board of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). The credential is awarded to candidates who pass the CMA (AAMA) certification/recertification examination.
• Registered Medical Assistant Certification Exam AMT certification is offered to students at graduation whose school’s curriculum has been approved by AMT.
• National Certified Medical Assistant Certification Exam The National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) is an independent credentialing organization that has tested health care professionals and instructors throughout the United States since 1989.

The CMA exam is considered the gold standard and most desirable in the field of medical assistant certifications. Also, a growing number of malpractice insurance carriers require medical assistants to be specifically CMA credentialed. The reason is that credentialed personnel on staff will lessen the likelihood that a successful legal challenge will be mounted because of the assured quality of work of the employee.

The CMA test is the only exam that is limited to graduates of a medical assistant program that is accredited by CAAHEP or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Further, certified medical assistants are likelier to have higher salaries than those medical assistants who are not certified.

Hunter Business School’s Job Placement Outcomes

Hunter Business School has a higher program outcome than the industry average. Eighty-four percent of students receiving the Medical Assistant diploma find a job. Nearly a hundred percent of students are satisfied with their time at Hunter Business School, and 97 percent of employers are satisfied after hiring a Medical Assistant diploma program graduate from Hunter Business School.

Many of the job titles for graduates of the Medical Assistant diploma program include

• • Medical Assistant Medical assistants perform routine clinical and administrative tasks to manage physicians’ offices and clinics. Medical assistants are in demand, and the need is growing much faster than average for all occupations, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    The call for medical assistants is predicted to surge in number for physicians’ offices and outpatient care facilities. Plus there are a growing number of elderly Americans who need medical treatment that will influence the involvement of additional medical assistants. The skills that a medical assistant provides include

    • Performance of phlebotomy and EKGs and many other procedures
    • Customer service and phone etiquette skills
    • Maintenance of effective and organized systems
  • Certified Medical Assistant Certified medical assistants may prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, schedule appointments, and answer telephones. Certified medical assistants often perform tasks that may include arranging laboratory tests and hospital admissions for patients.

    The designation Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) indicates that the individual is a graduate of a medical assisting program accredited by CAAHEP and has passed the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) certification examination of the American Association of Medical Assistants.

  • Ophthalmic Technician Ophthalmic technicians assist ophthalmologists in diagnosing eye diseases and in performing eye surgery. An ophthalmic technician’s job duties include performing diagnostic tests, maintaining equipment, and explaining concepts to patients. Some of the procedures an ophthalmic technician will perform include
    • Visual acuity measurement
    • Measurement for a prescription for glasses or contacts
    • Measurement of eye pressure (tonometry)
    • Measurement of pupil size and reactivity
    • Testing of eye muscle function
    • Measurement of corneal thickness and curvature
    • Performance of corneal and retinal topography
  • Chiropractic Assistant Chiropractic assistants usually help chiropractors working in private offices. Some of their duties include checking patients in and out, doing medical billing and coding, and answering phone calls. The role of a chiropractor assistant includes
    • Assisting the chiropractor with procedures
    • Placement of patients in exam positions
    • Setting patients up for procedures
    • Transferring patients
    • Maintenance and keeping track of office supplies
    • Verification and correspondence with insurance companies
    • Sorting and sending mail
    • Maintenance of inventories

Diploma Completion Duration

You can graduate from the Medical Assistant diploma program in as little as 7½ months taking day classes or 15 months taking evening classes. Diploma programs provide working professionals with the opportunity to earn a certificate relatively quickly. Hunter Business School offers diploma programs with convenient day or evening schedules.

Top Classes to Train as a Medical Assistant

Hunter Business School’s Medical Assistant diploma program includes classes for assisting with minor surgery, pharmacology, microbiology, keyboarding, phlebotomy, electrocardiography, computerized billing, and anatomy and physiology. Hunter Business School’s health care division offers these classes to train students to perform both clinical and administrative tasks under the direction of a physician or other medical professionals. The Medical Assistant diploma program prepares competent, entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains required for professional practice.

Hunter Business School’s Medical Assistant diploma program also includes an externship, where students are placed in a medical facility for real-world experience performing the duties of a medical assistant while being supervised. Medical Assistant students spend 160 hours on externship to gain valuable on-the-job training.

Whether you are looking for a new career or ready for that promotion, Hunter Business School’s Medical Assistant diploma program can help you become a medical assistant in as little as 7½ months. Further, 84 percent of Hunter Business School students receiving a Medical Assistant diploma find a job. The career you are looking for is right in front of you, so sign up for the Medical Assistant diploma program today at Hunter Business School.