Top Online Medical Assistant Schools

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , medical assistants (MAs) and medical assisting careers are expected to increase by 29% between 2016 and 2026, growing at a much faster rate than the national average for all fields. Online medical assistant programs train MAs to perform both clinical and administrative tasks in a variety of healthcare environments. Though largely dependent upon the location and specialty of the practice, responsibilities and duties of medical assistants may include measuring vital signs, assisting with examinations, giving injections, and overseeing administrative tasks.

Employment in this field typically requires either a certificate or associate degree in medical assisting from an accredited institution. Today, a variety of online medical assistant programs are available, meeting the needs of many adults across the U.S. MAs are not required to be certified in most states, but optional certification can improve marketability across the board. The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) offers a certified MA credential, and the American Medical Technologists offers a registered medical assistant credential for those who pass the required examination. Median annual pay for this profession is $32,480 for full-time employees. The top 10% of MAs earned $45,900 per year, and the lowest 10% earned $23,830.

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What Are the Best Online Medical Assistant Programs?

Top Online Medical Assistant Schools for 2019

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How to Become a Certified Medical Assistant Online?

Medical assistants are vital and versatile members of healthcare teams. Trained to perform both administrative and clinical duties, they serve in paraprofessional support roles in clinics, hospitals, and assisted living facilities.

Although it's possible to enter the field with a high school diploma and acquire skills on the job, most medical assistants earn a one-year certificate or diploma. Employers often prefer to hire medical assistants with some postsecondary education. Earning an associate degree through an online medical assistant program distinguishes graduates from other candidates, positions them to compete for top positions, and provides experience that prepares them to pursue nursing careers.

The best online medical assistant programs offer externships and provide support and preparation for voluntary certification exams. Some programs even offer specializations in administrative or clinical work. Certifications are not legally required, but employers favor candidates with extra credentials. Most medical assistant certifications are interchangeable and designate the holder's qualifications to perform entry-level work as a medical assistant. Externship providers maintain close relationships with educational institutions, and many offer jobs to graduates.

What Degree Do I Need to Become a Medical Assistant?

Medical Assistant Diploma

One educational option for those wishing to start a career as a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma in the field. Medical assistant diploma programs prepare students for an entry-level medical assistant position by providing training on the foundational skills described above, which usually takes eight months to a year, and includes hands-on training. These programs are ideal for students wishing to get started on their medical assisting career as quickly as possible, or those who may be financially constrained. Graduates are prepared for positions as administrative or clinical medical assistants, but may not be qualified for specialist positions.

Median Salary for Medical Assistant Diploma Graduates – $27,810

Medical Assistant Certificate

Students who are interested in a medical assistant diploma but wish to obtain other credentials might want to consider a medical assistant certificate. The certificate can be obtained by completing a medical assistant diploma program that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools , and then by completing the certified medical assistant (CMA) certification examination. The exam is comprised of 200 multiple-choice questions that are given in four 40-minute sections. A medical assistant certificate is ideal for those who wish to start their career quickly and also obtain official credentials to be more competitive in the eyes of potential employers.

Median Salary for Medical Assistant Diploma Graduates – $30,597

Associate Degree in Medical Assisting

An associate degree in medical assisting provides similar fundamentals as a diploma or certificate program, but builds upon them with an additional year of course work and training. The extra year can include more in-depth training and courses in general education. An associate program allows students the ability to start focusing on a specialty within the medical assistant field, opening up the opportunity to work in a specialist office. This, along with entering the workforce with more expertise, often allows graduates to start at a higher salary than those with a diploma or certificate. Students who can spend the extra time and money on their education may prefer this option to get a leg-up on the competition.

Median Salary for Medical Assistant Associate Graduates – $38,000

Medical Assistant Certifications

For graduates of an online medical assistant program, earning professional certification in combination with a diploma, certificate, or undergraduate degree may be all that is required to begin a career in medical assisting. While most jobs do not require an advanced degree in the field, the majority of employers prefer, and may even insist, that candidates are certified in a specialization of their choice. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies , which is part of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, accredits five professional certifications for medical assistants.

Certified Medical Assistant

A certified medical assistant has gone through an accredited medical assistant program and passed the CMA certification examination. The exam costs $125-$250, depending on AAMA membership and student status.

Registered Medical Assistant

A registered medical assistant has passed the American Medical Technologists' certification exam. Applicants are eligible to take the exam through four routes that all require five years of experience or recent graduation from an accredited medical assistant program.

National Certified Medical Assistant

A national certified medical assistant is a medical assistant who is certified by the National Center for Competency Testing, which is an independent credentialing agency in the U.S. healthcare industry. Applicants can achieve eligibility for the certification exam through three routes current student or recent graduate, experience, or military. The exam costs $90-$135 and consists of 165 items over three hours.

Certified Clinical Medical Assistant

A certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA) is a medical assistant certification offered by the National Healthcareer Association. The requirements for the CCMA examination are either completion of a medical assistant program or one year of supervised work experience (military equivalents are accepted for both). The exam costs $155, takes three hours, and consists of 180 questions.

Certified Medical Administrative Assistant

A certified medical administrative assistant (CMAA) is another certification offered by the National Healthcareer Association. The requirements for this certification are the same as those for the CCMA, but the CMAA focuses exclusively on the administrative side of medical assisting. The exam costs $117 and consists of 130 questions over two hours and ten minutes.

Online Medical Assistant Program Curriculum

All medical assistant programs have laboratory and classroom components that provide a foundation in medical terminology and human anatomy. A typical online medical assistant program also includes coursework in administrative procedures, clinical processes, medical ethics and law, pharmacology, and medical communications. Most online medical assistant programs require a supervised externship, which typically involves 160-200 hours of training at a clinic or a physician's office.

Students completing medical assistant programs online learn administrative skills including appointment scheduling, records management, and basic computer skills, such as word processing, database management, and insurance coding. Clinical skills training varies by state, but most programs teach students to take patient histories and vital signs, collect laboratory specimens, and explain treatment procedures. Graduates of medical assistant online programs work in physicians' offices, insurance companies, and hospitals.

Careers for Online Medical Assisting Graduates

Graduates of online medical assisting programs can pursue careers focusing on the administrative, clerical, and clinical aspects of their field. Positions that focus more on administrative responsibilities are ideal for graduates with attention to detail and knowledge of insurance systems. Graduates who prefer more customer service-oriented responsibilities would be well suited for clerical positions, and those who enjoy both would do well in clinical positions. If graduates complete specialized training, they can also seek medical assistant positions within that specialty. For example, graduates who prefer not to work directly with patients could work as laboratory medical assistants. Below, are some examples of careers and specialities in the medical assisting field.

Medical Assistant Jobs By State

What's the Difference Between a Medical Assistant and a Physician's Assistant?

Medical assistants are responsible for performing administrative duties and preparing patients for doctor appointments, though they themselves are not authorized to provide direct medical care to patients. Medical assistants are typically more involved than physician's assistants in patient scheduling, patient records, appointment setting, taking vital signs, and collecting blood work, among other administrative tasks.

By contrast, physician's assistants are more involved in collaborating with physicians about clinical patient care. A physician's assistant may support their supervising practitioner in surgery, during therapeutic procedures, in the x-ray room, and during primary care visits. Physician's assistants may also collaborate with the physician to provide patient direction and patient/family education, as well as develop treatment plans and set courses of treatment.

Opportunities For Advancement as a Medical Assistant

After completing an online medical assistant program and certification, many graduates want to become more involved in patient care. Pursuing education beyond an accredited medical assistant program can open paths to higher paying jobs. The table below features median salaries for four nursing careers.

There are no formal accelerated medical assistant online programs that shorten completion time of the registered nurse credential. However, the patient care experience and knowledge of medical terminology gained through a medical assistant program provides an advantage in nursing programs.

Licensure from a state board of nursing requires a nursing degree and the national council licensure examination for registered nurses. Aspiring nurses can earn a diploma in nursing, an associate degree in nursing, or a bachelor's of science in nursing, which leads to advanced careers in nursing management. Postgraduate work can open nurse practitioner career opportunities.

To determine the best online Medical Assistant programs, we looked at the most important factors prospective students, mainly common predictors of future success and a school's commitment to online programs. This boils down to admissions rate, student loan default rate, retention rate, graduation rate, and the percent of students enrolled in online classes. All data points are taken from information provided by colleges and universities to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Each factor is weighted evenly in order to give an objective view and determine the 5 best online Medical Assistant programs. To calculate our rankings, we looked at a school's ranking when organized by a single factor, and then averaged each category's ranking to find an overall score: Admissions Rate (20%) + Default Rate (20%) + Retention Rate (20%) + Graduation Rate (20%) + Percent of Students Enrolled in Online Classes (20%) = Final score.