Pennsylvania Medical Assistant Schools & Salaries

The medical assisting field in Pennsylvania is poised to grow over 17% through the next decade according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That translates to just under 4,000 new jobs. The forces driving this trend are an aging population and the increased availability of health care as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Pennsylvania schools offer programs in medical assisting at the certificate, diploma and associate degree level. Programs can be found at the state’s community, private and technical colleges. And, while Pennsylvania law does not mandate specific training for medical assistants, many employers prefer to hire Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs)-a designation that can only be obtained by graduates of accredited programs who pass a national credentialing exam. Read on to find out more about certifications, schools, and salary information for medical assistants in Pennsylvania.

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The need for trained medical assistants has rapidly increased in recent years, making a degree earned in medical assisting a valuable asset for students looking to begin a career in the medical field. We’ve looked into some of the best online programs in Pennsylvania, basing our findings on an institution’s class sizes, student-teacher ratio, and overall graduation rate. Look below to find the best medical assisting programs in Pennsylvania for 2017.

1 How is medical assisting defined in Pennsylvania?

In Pennsylvania, medical assistants are unlicensed personnel working in a health care setting. Pennsylvania does treat certified medical assistants (CMA) and registered medical assistants (RMA) differently than uncertified medical assistants. The essential difference comes down to what tasks and duties practitioners are able to delegate to medical assistants. For example, only “credentialed medical assistants”, meaning CMAs or RMAs, can enter a medical order into the electronic medical records for meaningful use.

2 Is certification required?

Certification is not required for medical assistants in Pennsylvania. However, the Pennsylvania medical code states that in order for physicians to delegate clinical and administrative tasks, they must have “knowledge that the delegatee has education, training, experience and continued competency to safely perform the medical service being delegated.” One way to ensure and, for legal purposes, be able to prove a medical assistant can be given specific tasks in through nationally recognized certification.

3 What MA certification is available?

The most commonly recognized and accepted certification is the CMA. CMA candidates must be recent graduates of medical assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). And, they must pass a national credentialing exam administered by the American Association of Medical Assistants. Below is a list of nationally recognized credentials.

4 Is formal education and/or training required?

It is not required, but often preferred. And, again, in order to become a CMA, you must be a graduate of an accredited program.

5 Are there additional requirements?

Many employers in Pennsylvania will require a background check, immunizations and a physical including a drug screening.

6 What tasks are within the scope of medical assistants in Pennsylvania?

According to Pennsylvania law, physicians may delegate administrative and clinical tasks “consistent with the standards of acceptable medical practice” to medical assistants provided that certain conditions are met. Doctors must know that medical assistants have training and experience to handle such tasks, and the tasks must fall within the physician’s own scope of practice. An example of clinical tasks medical assistants can perform include:

The table below compares annual and hourly wages for medical assistants in Pennsylvania with the nation as a whole.

Source: BLS, 2014

Salaries in Pennsylvania can vary as much as $2 per hour across the state. In general, nonmetropolitan areas have lower hourly wages than cities and metropolitan centers such as Lebanon or Philadelphia. However, wages in the cities of Altoona and Erie are actually lower than those found in Eastern nonmetropolitan areas.

Source: BLS, 2014

The medical assistant field is in Pennsylvania poised for considerable growth through the next decade-nearly 4,000 jobs will be added.

*Source: Projections Central, 2012-2022

Your medical assistant education can really set the tone for the success of your career. By attending a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, you are eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam, a credential that is often required by Pennsylvania employers. Here are a few accredited schools to help kick off your search for the right school.

School Type:

Community college

Accreditation:

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

Middle States Commission On Higher Education

School highlights:

Butler’s associate degree in medical assisting program is designed to build upon the certificate of achievement program

Both programs include an externship providing valuable, supervised hands-on practice

Certificate program can be completed in 18 months

Associate degree graduates are eligible to sit for the CMA exam

Programs offered:

Certificate of Achievement in Medical Assisting

Applied Associate of Science, Medical Assisting

Butler County Community College

School Type:

Community college

Accreditation:

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

Middle States Commission On Higher Education

School highlights:

All students participate in a supervised clinical externship in a local health care facility

All students are required to sit for the CMA exam

Programs offered:

Medical Assistant, Certificate of Proficiency

Medical Assistant, Associate in Applied Science

Delaware County Community College

American Association of Medical Assistants

The AAMA provides continuing education, advocacy, and credentialing for medical assistants-specifically the certified medical assistant (CMA) exam.

Pennsylvania Medical Society

This organization is an education, advocacy, and professional organization for physicians and their site contains useful information on the scope of practice for medical assistants in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Society of Medical Associates

This is the state chapter for the American Association of Medical Assistants and has local chapters in Allegheny, Beaver, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Erie, Lancaster, Lehigh, and York Counties, as well as the Tri-County area.