Medical Assistant Schools in Oklahoma
The Road to Certification
Oklahoma medical assistants perform basic clinical and administrative tasks under the delegation of physicians and other healthcare professionals. Oklahoma state code explicitly authorizes physicians to utilize “trained assistants”.
Training may take multiple forms. Employers often seek medical assistants whose competency has been validated by well-known organizations.
Best Medical Assisting Programs in Oklahoma
Metro Technology Center offers a CAAHEP-accredited certificate program. The school boasts a five-year retention rate of 88.89%, placement rate of 89.58% and certification examination pass rate of 82.61%. Students are selected on the basis of a point system that takes into account placement tests, GPA or GED scores, and post-secondary education.
Moore Norman Technology Center offers a medical assisting diploma. Graduates are eligible to sir for any of the following certifications: CMA, RMA, NCMA, CCMA, or CMAC. According to the formula utilized by its institutional accreditor, the program has a 100% positive placement rate; this takes into account continuing education as well as related and nonrelated employment.
Community Care College offers day, evening, and hybrid options. The on-campus program holds programmatic ABHES accreditation. According to information available in early 2020, individuals who complete the on-campus program can test for the CMA (AAMA) certification; those who complete the hybrid program can test for the RMA.
Medical Assisting Certifications
Certification is granted by third party agencies. The following certifying agencies are among those known and respected in Oklahoma:
The American Association of Medical Assistants grants Certified Medical Assistant or CMA (AAMA) credentialing to medical assistants who meet requirements for formal education and who pass a rigorous examination. The standards pathway is only for individuals who complete medical assistant programs that are accredited by the Accrediting Bureau for Health Education Schools (ABHES) or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). A pilot program that began in 2019 grants eligibility to some individuals who complete non-accredited programs that are housed in accredited schools. Among the requirements: that the program be at least two semesters (or the equivalent) and include at least 160 hours of practicum or externship. Both CAAHEP and ABHES set a 160-hour practicum standard. Oklahoma’s Community Care College refers to the CMA as the “gold standard” around the nation (even while offering multiple programs that provide preparation for different industry certifications).
American Medical Technologists grants Registered Medical Assistant or RMA credentialing to individuals who meet any of several qualification pathways and pass a rigorous examination. An individual may qualify for examination on the basis of medical assistant experience alone but will need at least five years, all from the recent past. AMT, like AAMA, includes 160 hours of externship among the minimum standards for programs that qualify on the basis of institutional accreditation.
Some positions reference the Assessment-Based Recognition in Order Entry credential. This is an AAMA credential that may be achieved by medical assistants who don’t meet eligibility requirements for the CMA (AAMA). The ABR-OE is designed specifically as an additional pathway for medical assistants to meet CMS credentialing standards; having the credential (or a recognized national certification) means that a medical assistant can enter orders into the patient’s medical record and have it credited as “meaningful use” under CMS guidelines.
The Hiring Market
Utica Park Current recently placed multiple postings for medical assistants who held CMA, RMA or ABR certification. Integris posted multiple postings with similar credentialing expectations: Candidates were to have nationally recognized certifications, ABR credentialing, or the ability to obtain a credential within a set timeframe after employment.
The University of Oklahoma also referenced these certifications. The UO sought previous experience or internship/ practicum obtained in the context of an accredited program.
Top Employers of Medical Assistants in Oklahoma
Medical assistants can be found in many settings, including hospital-affiliated outpatient centers, community health settings, private medical practices, and urgent care centers.
The following are among Oklahoma’s employers:
• Integris Health
• Utica Park Clinic
• University of Oklahoma
• OU Medicine
• Saint Francis Health System
• Mercy
• Variety Care, Inc.
• Comanche County Memorial Hospital
• St. John Health System
• Community Hospital-OKC
• Pleasant Valley Health Care Center
• NextCare Urgent Care Clinics
• Xpress Wellness Urgent Care
Oklahoma Medical Assistant Scope of Practice
According to expert opinion, Oklahoma medical assistants may be granted a “reasonable scope” of duties in outpatient facilities, including clinical acts like venipuncture and intramuscular injection (https://www.aama-ntl.org/employers/state-scope-of-practice-laws). Actual duties will depend on practice setting.
Oklahoma Medical Assistant Salary and Career Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Oklahoma medical assistants averaged $14.89 an hour in2018; this equates to an annual figure of $30,960. The 10th percentile wage was $10.88 an hour, or $22,620. The 90th percentile wage was $19.11 an hour, or $39,740.
Oklahoma had a location quotient of 1.12, suggesting a job concentration just above the national average.
The Oklahoma medical assistant occupation has been projected to see 18% growth over the course of the 2016 to 2026 decade.
Medical Assistant Resources
The Oklahoma State Society of Medical Assistants is the state professional association. The Oklahoma State Society uses Facebook for its web presence.
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