Here is the good news about pursuing a career as a medical assistant: With all the growth in healthcare, medical assisting has become one of the fastest growing careers in the field today.

And ... here's the bad news: While the growth has created many medical assistant jobs, the best positions are highly sought after and extremely competitive to land.

To make themselves more attractive to hiring managers, many medical assistants are pursing certifications to allow them more opportunities than a medical assistant degree affords them. A highly popular choice among recent graduates is to become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA.)

If you've been contemplating this career, then you've probably asked yourself, "Are medical assistants certified?"

So, why is the CMA designation so important? What ways can it open more doors to you in your career? Here are five reasons to become a certified medical assistant:

• The highest achievement – The credential you must earn to achieve such as designation requires you to obtain the highest standard of professionalism in the field. The process of earning your CMA credential shows potential employers that you are familiar with the rigorous standards established by the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA.)
• Choose your work environment – A medical assistant certification will create more settings in which you can work. Most certified medical assistants are employed by physicians, clinics, labs or a variety of other healthcare facilities. In addition to seeing to patient care, you might also be asked to take on clerical, administrative, or clinical roles or tackle special projects.
• Staying patient focused – Typically, no matter what the work setting is like, medical assistant duties include supporting physicians and helping see that medical facilities run as smoothly as possible. This includes a high degree of patient interaction on a daily basis. In other words, becoming certified isn't necessarily going to take you away from your love of working together with people who are in need of care.
• Putting in the extra work – Becoming certified will require significant additional effort that employers will recognize. They are looking to hire the best medical assistants they can find, so displaying your passion for the field will show through the extra step you take to earn your certification. The seal of approval, so to speak, from the AAMA demonstrates to hiring managers that you have the skills and the knowledge to deliver a high level of service.
• Suits your personality – Some common characteristics are shared by people who pursue medical assistant degrees. Most medical assistants are highly empathetic, dependable, and pay close attention to details. No doubt pursuing a certification is something you'll want to do, outside of the beneficial impact it could have on your career. As someone who enjoys helping and educating people from all walks of life, a certification will better prepare you for the role you've always wanted.

If you decide to pursue a certification, you must complete a medical assisting program from a career school that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Upon finishing medical assistant programs, graduates can apply to take the certification examination that is offered by the AAMA.

From there, you'll be set to enter the workforce, fulfilling an important role in the healthcare field and delivering quality care to patients. These are two important factors that will motivate you to press forward in your career every single day and touch the lives of countless people!