If you’re considering a career as a certified medical assistant, you’re probably wondering if you can take all the classes online. It’s a natural question to ask, because so many career training programs are now available online.
Medical assistants jobs are projected to grow by 15% between 2023 and 2033, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.[1] Let’s discuss if it’s possible to certified medical assistant strictly from online classes.
Becoming a Certified Medical Assistant
In California, the steps to becoming a certified medical assistant are:
1. Successfully complete and pass an approved training program from an accredited school.
2. Complete an externship at a medical facility.
3. Pass the certifying exam and receive certification.
The one thing you will notice is you must complete an externship and get hands on training for clinical duties before taking the certification exam.
If you take a combined medical assisting and phlebotomy program, you must do different types of blood draws in order to earn your CPT I certification.
While it’s possible to do most of the coursework online, the clinical parts of training programs and the hands-on externship cannot be done online. These parts of medical assistant training must be done in-person.
For this reason, most modern medical assistant training programs are hybrid programs with a mix of online and in-person training.
Who is Eligible to Become a Certified Medical Assistant in California?
You can take an exam to become a certified medical assistant if you meet one of the following criteria:
1) You have a high school diploma, GED, or other high school diploma equivalency, AND have completed a medical assistant training program from an accredited school in the last five years.
OR
2) Have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent, AND have completed one year of supervised work experience in a medical assisting field within the last 3 years; or 2 years of supervised work experience in a medical assisting field within the last 5 years.
There are different types of medical assisting certifications, most commonly issued by certifying bodies which are professional healthcare organizations.
The Nationally Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) is the certification that Campus medical assistant students are prepared to pass. The NCMA certification is offered through the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT).
Clinicals and Externship
In some states, you must complete a certain amount of clinical training to be able to sit for the certification exam. Completing clinical training is not possible without having a hybrid program, where most of the coursework is completed online (or in a physical classroom) and the required clinical training is completed in the classroom.
Many medical assistant training programs also have an unpaid externship at a local medical office, hospital, outpatient care facility or other healthcare facility.
The Medical Assisting certification program at Campus, and our Medical Assisting with Phlebotomy program are both hybrid programs, and both have an externship included as part of the program.
Occasionally, you may see other programs advertised which are online only, but these will not include an externship or any in-classroom clinical training.
Do You Need to be Certified to Work as a Medical Assistant?
In California, you are not required to be certified to work as a medical assistant. However, you might not be able to find employment unless you are certified, due to insurance purposes. All medical assistants work under the supervision of a licensed physician or other healthcare worker licensed to practice medicine. Malpractice insurance carriers almost always require medical assistants be certified, if they are working in the medical office of the insured doctor.
The only states where medical assistants must be certified in order to work are Washington, Connecticut, Idaho, and New Jersey.
Become a Certified Medical Assistant in About 36 Weeks
If you’re interested in becoming a medical assistant, Campus Sacramento, formerly MTI College, has a medical assistant training program to help you pass your NCMA exam. In about 36 weeks, you’ll learn the skills you need to help you start your medical assisting career. We also have a Medical Assisting with Phlebotomy program so you can also get your CPT I certification. For more information, contact our Admissions Department or call 888-675-2460.
[1] Note: The data provided above are from a source unaffiliated with Campus, formerly known as MTI College, are for informational purposes only and represent the employment field as a whole. They are not solely specific to Campus graduates and, by providing the above information, Campus makes no representation, direct or implied, or opinion regarding employability.