Ohio Medical Assistant - Career Preparation

Medical assisting is a growing career field, with a lot of job openings at any given time. For those interested in a career as an Ohio medical assistant there are some things you will need to do in order to prepare for this career. First, you will need to attend an accredited educational program. Then it would be advisable to become a certified medical assistant, as this is helpful when looking for jobs. It might also be helpful to join a professional association, such as the Ohio State Society of Medical Assistants.

The first step along the road to becoming a medical assistant in Ohio is to attend an accredited educational program. The Council on Accreditation of Associated Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) has accredited a total of 53 medical assistant educational programs in Ohio, of which 25 result in an Associates degree and 28 result in a certificate. 

Associates degree programs tend to take longer to complete (approximately two years) but they are more thorough and likely to give you more practical experience. They are likely to prepare you a little bit better for your career, though if you do not have the time and money to complete one of these programs, or if there is not one near you, a certificate program is usually perfectly acceptable, especially if you go on to become certified after you complete the program.

In order to become a certified Ohio medical assistant, you will need to complete an accredited educational program, and then you will need to pass the certification exam. The American Association of Medical Assistants gives this exam throughout the year. You can go to their website for an application, which you will need to complete and send in along with the required fee. Then they will contact you to arrange for you to take the test. 

In order to keep up your certification you will need to complete 60 hours of continuing education every five years or retake the exam every five years. Becoming certified proves that you have the minimum required knowledge necessary for this position, so employers prefer certified medical assistants.

Although it is not required, it is often helpful for an Ohio medical assistant to join professional organizations such as the Ohio State Society of Medical Assistants. This is a great resource for continuing education opportunities, as well as networking, career related news and events, and job openings. Louis Zhang, Medicalassistantprogram dot org