|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQs on CMA (AAMA) Recertification For your convenience, here are answers to frequently asked questions regarding recertification. If you do not see the answer to your question below, please contact us at info@aama-ntl.org.
Q. How often do I need to recertify my credential? A. To better ensure current competency and knowledge and thus better protect patients, medical assistants who have the CMA (AAMA) credential are required to recertify every five years. Effective January 1, 2005, all newly certified and recertifying medical assistants will be current through the last day of their birth month in the sixth calendar year following certification or recertification. Current status is required in order to use the credential in connection with employment. For example: If you certify or recertify in 2005, you must recertify by the last day of your birth month in 2011. To recertify by examination without any break in current status, you must pass the CMA (AAMA) Certification Examination that occurs at least four months prior to the last day of your birth month (i.e., if your birthday occurs in July, you must apply for and pass the January 2011 examination.) To recertify by continuing education without any break in current status, you must submit your paperwork to recertify 90 days prior to the last day of your birth month.
Q: How can I recertify my CMA (AAMA) credential? A. You can recertify either by passing the American Association of Medical Assistants CMA (AAMA) Certification/Recertification Examination or by acquiring 60 recertification points, 30 of which must be AAMA approved continuing education units (CEUs). The category breakdown of points must be as follows:
Due to the increasing frequency of emergencies in medical offices and clinics, a CMA (AAMA) must maintain current CPR certification at all times. A CMA (AAMA) must submit proof (photocopy of the card and length of program) of current, provider level CPR certification from an entity whose provider level CPR certification course meets or exceeds the provider level course offered by the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association in order to recertify either by continuing education or retesting. A CMA (AAMA) with physical limitations preventing him or her from performing CPR shall be exempt from this requirement. Such limitations must be documented by a statement signed by a physician. Provider level CPR is designed to meet the needs of health care professionals who respond to cardiac and respiratory emergencies. The content of the course should include adult and pediatric CPR, foreign-body airway obstruction, and two-rescuer CPR. The course should contain information on barrier devices, stroke, and automated external defibrillation, including a new algorithm for use of automated external defibrillators. A CMA (AAMA) with physical limitations preventing him or her from performing CPR shall be exempt from this requirement. Such limitations must be documented by a statement signed by a physician.
Q. Is the Recertification Exam the same as the Certification Exam? A. Candidates for recertification take the same examination as candidates for initial certification.
Q. What is the cost to recertify by taking the CMA (AAMA) Certification/Recertification Exam? A. The cost is $125 for AAMA members and $250 for nonmembers.
Q. If I choose to recertify by continuing education and I accumulate all 60 recertification points well before the expiration date, can I recertify early? A. You can recertify before the expiration date. Your new five-year term begins on your date of recertification.
Q. If I accumulate more than 60 recertification points, can I roll the extra points over into my next five-year term? A. No. Points toward recertification are valid only if earned after initial certification or after the most recent recertification. Additionally, credits must be earned in the calendar year in which the application is submitted and/or in the six calendar years prior.
Q. If I wish to attend a continuing education program that is not approved by the AAMA, how do I know if the program will be accepted with my recertification application? A. The AAMA will accept a program for recertification if its subject matter is relevant to your profession. However, it is up to you to determine if a program topic is relevant before you choose to attend it. The AAMA provides three documents that serve as useful guidelines for identifying relevant topics. These documents are in PDF format. The CMA (AAMA) Certification/Recertification Examination Content Outline is a comprehensive list of everything that a CMA (AAMA) has to know, organized by topic category. The AAMA 2007-2008 Occupational Analysis of the CMA (AAMA) is based on an AAMA survey in which medical assistants listed the tasks that they performed on a daily basis and expected to perform in the future. The AAMA recommends this document to program planners as a framework for developing continuing education programs. The Advanced Practice of Medical Assisting defines advanced medical assisting skills and areas of knowledge. This is another document that the AAMA recommends as a framework for developing continuing education programs.
Q. If I complete a continuing education program that is not approved by the AAMA, is my transcript automatically updated? A. No. For this reason, you must save any paperwork associated with these programs, such as a syllabus, a workshop flyer describing the topic, and documentation of formal credit. When you apply for recertification, you must furnish this paperwork as proof that you completed these programs.
Q. How much does it cost to apply for recertification by continuing education? A. The cost is $50 for AAMA members and $100 for nonmembers.
|
|
|||
|
|
|
