The Certifying Board (CB) of the American Association of Medical Assistants® (AAMA) has announced a three-year pilot program that opens a new education pathway for graduates of medical assisting programs to become eligible to take the CMA (AAMA)® Certification Exam.
Until now, the CB has required CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam applicants to be graduates of a postsecondary (college-level) medical assisting program accredited by either the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
“The Certifying Board has taken notice of the fact that there may be other postsecondary medical assisting programs not accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES that may provide the requisite educational depth, breadth and rigor,” says Berlene Farthing, CMA (AAMA), chair of the CB.
This three-year pilot program allows graduates of postsecondary medical assisting programs to take the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam if the program meets certain requirements, including, but not limited to, the program being part of an institution accredited by an accrediting body recognized by either the United States Department of Education (USDE) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
“The purpose of the CB is to protect public safety by upholding the currency, reliability and validity of the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam. Establishing the appropriate eligibility requirements for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam is an essential element in accomplishing this purpose,” adds Farthing.
