{"id":9004,"date":"2019-06-05T09:00:47","date_gmt":"2019-06-05T13:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/?p=9004"},"modified":"2025-11-13T20:38:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T01:38:51","slug":"is-ccma-a-career-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/is-ccma-a-career-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Is CCMA a Career for You?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) is a growing career field. CCMAs are the most in-demand position now in the healthcare field next to nursing. This is because there are 10,000 baby boomers retiring each <em>day<\/em> until 2026. With short-term training, employment is close at hand. For the first time, SPC\u2019s Spring Commencement Ceremony included <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/spcollege.augusoft.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">SPC&#8217;s Workforce Institute\u2019s<\/a> non-degree students. These students successfully completed the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program (CCMA). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"769\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2019\/05\/Graduation-CMA-2019-1024x769.jpg\" alt=\"CCMA students at Spring 2019 Commencement\" class=\"wp-image-9006\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2019\/05\/Graduation-CMA-2019-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2019\/05\/Graduation-CMA-2019-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2019\/05\/Graduation-CMA-2019-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2019\/05\/Graduation-CMA-2019.jpg 2044w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Graduates of the CCMA training at SPC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 64 CCMA graduates range from 18-60 years, and include students who have earned high school diplomas, associate, and bachelor degrees.&nbsp;Some graduates are entering the workforce for the first time. Others are returning to school for retraining.&nbsp;Still others are preparing for a career as physician assistants and nurse practitioners. After landing a position, usually with their externship site, many go on and branch out into other specialties in healthcare or enter programs for nursing or other healthcare related degrees.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In May 2018, the median annual wages for medical assistants in\nthe top industries in which they worked were as follows:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>\n  Outpatient care centers\n  <\/td><td>\n  $35,600\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Hospitals; state, local, and\n  private\n  <\/td><td>   $34,980   <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Offices of physicians\n  <\/td><td>   $33,650   <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Offices of chiropractors\n  <\/td><td>   $29,960   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most medical assistants work full time. Some work evenings,\nweekends, or holidays to cover shifts in medical facilities that are always\nopen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does a CCMA do? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A\nmedical assistant is a multi-skilled&nbsp;health care professional that\nspecializes in procedures commonly performed in the ambulatory health care\nsetting. Medical assistants perform both clinical and administrative duties.\nThey assist a variety of providers including physicians, nurse practitioners\nand physician assistants. They typically work in medical offices, clinics, and urgent\ncare centers. CCMAs may work in general medicine or specialty practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common duties of a medical assistant include:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Checking patients in and out upon arrival and departure<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Answering phone calls and questions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assisting providers with exams and procedures<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Administering injections or medications<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Working in the electronic health record (EHR)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Performing EKG, phlebotomy, and laboratory procedures<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Taking patient vital signs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits to obtaining a Clinical Medical Assistant Certification may include:&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>More job opportunities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An increased pay scale<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Job security<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increased subject matter expertise<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CCMAs are a vital part of clinical patient care, and are in great demand in the workforce.&nbsp;According to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/healthcare\/medical-assistants.htm\" target=\"_blank\">the Occupational Outlook Handbook<\/a>, Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 29 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Interested in SPC\u2019s Workforce Institute\u2019s Certificate Program?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next CCMA course is scheduled to begin on August 6.&nbsp;For specific information, learn more from the <a href=\"https:\/\/spcollege.augusoft.net\/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&amp;int_class_id=77108&amp;int_category_id=27&amp;int_sub_category_id=331&amp;int_catalog_id=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">CCMA class information page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">This class consists of:\ufeff<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hands on training:&nbsp;<\/strong>This blended program includes online, live lab and clinical experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>300 Total Hours:&nbsp;<\/strong>140 hours online, 80 classroom and 80 hour externship.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once this training is successfully completed, you are ready to sit for the National HealthCareer Association Medical Assistant Certification.&nbsp;Many employers are requiring this certification for employment.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more information about the CCMA program, please contact <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"mailto:Reesher.Shaeleigh@spcollege.edu\" target=\"_blank\">Shaeleigh Reesher<\/a>.&nbsp;For more information on all SPC Workforce programs, please contact <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"mailto:Berry.Belinthia@spcollege.edu\" target=\"_blank\">Belinthia Berry<\/a>.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thank you to Karen Rupp, SPC&#8217;s Workforce Institute, for your contribution of this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Follow us on&nbsp;<\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/stpetersburgcollege\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Instagram<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/spcnews\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Twitter<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/careerspc\" target=\"_blank\"><em>#careerspc<\/em><\/a><em>,&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/spcintern\" target=\"_blank\"><em>#spcintern<\/em><\/a><em>,<\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/workforcespc\" target=\"_blank\"><em>#workforcespc<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Certified Clinical Medical Assistant is a growing occupation. Find out how to obtain short-term training in this growing field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1797,"featured_media":9005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[12,106,8,6],"tags":[4,10,109],"class_list":["post-9004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-news","category-featured","category-hot-jobs","category-internships","tag-career-services","tag-internships","tag-workforce-institute"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1797"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9004"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10150,"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9004\/revisions\/10150"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/careers-internships\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}