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Medical Assistant Certification in District of Columbia – DC
By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: January 26th, 2010
Medical Assistant Education in Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. is the heart of what may be the most important healthcare arena in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the District of Columbia has a resident population of approximately 600,000; of course one of those residents being the president of the United States. It goes without saying that the district also has a large population with well over a million, which commute to work each day in the district. There are several medical assistant schools in Washington DC to choose from with robust programs that will prepare you for certification. With the Washington Hospital Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Children’s National Medical Center, the teaching hospitals associated with the medical schools at Georgetown, Howard and other medical facilities, the District of Columbia has need of medical personnel such as medical assistants to provide care to the Nation’s center for healthcare and medical research.
Getting Certified
Technical institutes, community colleges, as well as online education programs offer training to those who wish to begin a career as a medical assistant. While medical assistants are not required to be licensed in the district, many employers look for medical assistants that have taken and passed the professional certification examination given by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and are a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA). Achieving the medical assistant CMA certification is an accomplishment to be proud of and one that more and more employers are looking for. The AAMA provides a study tool to help you prepare for the examination. The “Handbook for the CMA (AAMA) Certification/Recertification Examination” is a pdf file available to be downloaded from the AAMA Web site which provides topics and subject matter that students can expect to be tested on. It is highly recommended that students avail themselves of the opportunity to ensure that they are familiar with the material before taking the test. Several practice questions are also available on the Web site under the CMA (AAMA) Exam category. The certification examination is computer-based and will take no longer than three hours and fifteen minutes, including a tutorial. There are approximately 200 multiple choice questions on the exam that cover topics on the Content Outline for the CMA (AAMA) exam.
Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Medical Assistants in Washington, D.C. / District of Columbia may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the district, including Washington Hospital Center, and the George Washington University Medical Center.