On this page you can find answers to some of the most common questions about Medical Assistants. If you can’t find the answer to your question then please ask our community in the comments below.
General Questions
Education Questions
Career Questions
- Medical Assistant Externship: Find an Externship to Your Start Career
- Can a Medical Assistant Work in a Hospital?
- Can Medical Assistants Give Injections or Shots?
- Can Medical Assistants Work in Nursing Homes?
- Can CMAs Apply for Surgical Tech Positions?
- What Other Jobs Can Medical Assistants Do?
- Can Medical Assistants Work in Schools?
- Can Medical Assistants Work in Emergency Rooms?
Ask New Question
If you can’t find the answer to your question about medical assisting, then ask our community in the comments below.
Hi everyone! My name is Chris and I am part of the team here at The Medical Assistant Guide. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about a medical assisting career, just leave a comment š
Chris, is there a working email to reach out to The Medical Assistant Guide? The one that I found on the website says it is no longer valid. I am interested in adding more industry data to your website regarding the medical assisting profession.
Hi Jessica, thanks for your message! Would you mind telling me which email isn’t working for you? You can reach me directly at: chris.jackson@medical-assistant.us
Looking forward to hearing from you! š
How much do medical assistants earn?
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your question, we’ve added it to the FAQs above.
You can use our nationwide Medical Assistant Salary Database to see how much medical assistants earn in all of the major cities across the U.S.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you, Chris!
Where can i find an accredited school online for certified medical assistant. I live in nh. Thanks for any advise.
Hi Sue,
We offer 2 tools to help you find online MA programs.
Both tools will return a variety of online options for you depending on the information you enter.
For example, here is one option in NH from Keene State College.
Hope it helps!
I am a certified medical assistant in Washington state. I am moving to Nevada. Does my license transfer or do I have to take the certification again for Nevada?
Hi Kristin,
The AAMA is nationally recognized, so your CMA certification transfers state to state without the need to re-certify š
It may be helpful to checkout this info on working on Nevada just go get familiar with any changes from working in Washington state.
Good luck!
I graduated in 2003, have not worked I the field since 2015 but was told I can not take an exam to be a CMA because I waited too long. What can I do to take the exam and work in the profession I went to school for.
Who told you that you cannot take the exam? Surely they offered some sort of refresher course or alternative route to testing?
In some states being certified is not required and employers may hire you based on your experience. However, if you do need to get certified then I would contact the AAMA to discuss your options.
Check your state here to see if certification is required: https://medical-assistant.us/medical-assistant-certification/
Good luck!
Hi my name is Lundon Steed, i have amedical assistance Diploma,i got it in 2008, i just want to know how do i get certified, or do i have to take a refresh course or take the classes all over again. I live in Milwaukee Wi.
Hi Lundon,
In WI the state board doesn’t require certification to work, however most employers will. So, you could try finding a job first to see if there are any opportunities. If not, then you could look into the certification process.
Here are the steps, forms, contact info, and fees to get certified if you do go this route: https://medical-assistant.us/cma-wisconsin/
what is the price to get a certification
Hi Wendie,
There are multiple certifications for medical assistants. The cost will vary quite a bit depending on the route you choose. A certification itself may only cost a few hundred dollars.
The biggest cost would be to obtain your associate’s degree, should you choose to pursue a certification like the CMA from the AAMA which requires this education.
At the links below we have more information on each type of certification, both those requiring an associated and those that do not.
Hi Chris Iām already a MA out of Washington state and Iām moving to the state of Arizona and Iām having a hard time trying to figure out what I need to work as a MA. In the state of Washington Iām grandfathered in so I never had to take the CMA test. Wondering do you know for the state of Arizona do I need to do this or who I need to talk with having a hard time finding the right person to talk with. Thank you
Keri
Hi Keri,
Your circumstances are unique and I would recommend talking to AZ Medical Board (here is contact info) who oversees the functions of MAs to get a definitive answer. That said, I don’t think you will need to do anything and will be able to work legally right away.
In Arizona, the AZ Medical Board defines the functions of medical assistants but they do not require national certification or a state license, however most employers do demand national certification. So, I would think that your national certification will be just fine.
Hope that helps!
Chris
I got my CMA certificate in IN. If i were to move to NJ, would i be able to use my certificate to work. Or would i have to redo everything and take another CMA course in NJ
Hi Anna,
The AAMA is nationally recognized and you do not need to re-certify if you move to a new state.
That said, it is worth researching the new state to see if they have an agency (usually a medical board) that oversees the work scope of MAs. In some states this board may have requirements for MAs to work or to perform certain tasks.
We maintain a state by state tool that will tell you this information as far as the medical board, contact info, and requirements. You can access it here: https://medical-assistant.us/medical-assistant-certification/
Hi a friend of mine was hired as a Medical assistant in Arizona and they told her she could pass narcotics if a nurse or PA takes it out of the drawer. I am an RN and that does’t sound like it would be in there scope. I just don’t want her to get in trouble with the Board of Nursing
Hi Suzanne, great question. You can find scope of practice laws for MAs in AZ here: http://aama-ntl.org/docs/default-source/legal/az-medical-assistants-use-of-title-violation-classification.pdf?sfvrsn=4
I skimmed the scope of practice document and it doesn’t look like passing narcotics is within their scope in AZ. Your friend and her employer should review the above link.
Best,
Chris