Medical Assistant Schools in Alaska

Choosing a career as a medical assistant in the wilderness of The Last Frontier promises to be a worthwhile opportunity. The state of Alaska currently employs 1,228 medical assistants and job demand is still on the rise.  The Department of Labor and Workforce Development in AK projected a 29.2 % growth rate in the field of medical assisting from 2008-2018. As of 2009, the ratio of registrants to job position postings is only at 5.5. Medical assistants are expected to aid medical practitioners or various types of doctors in organizing and updating medical records, scheduling patient appointments, taking patient vital signs and preparing them for examination and treatment and other administrative and clinical tasks that do not need the direct attention of doctors.

The primary duty of a medical assistant is to ensure a smooth delivery of health care service, this is what you will learn when you attend  medical assistant schools in AK or any accredited technical school in the United States. To get the job, AK has only less than ten schools offering programs where one can obtain training to become a professional medical assistant. There are however plenty of online schools where one can choose to pursue a diploma or associate degree in medical assistance.  Any of the three following certification programs must be completed in order to land a medical assistant job in AK.

• RMA Certification. The Registered Medical Assistant credential is granted once qualified individuals pass the RMA Exam of American Medical Technologists.
• NCMA Certification. The National Certified Medical Assistant certification is granted to those who will pass the exam for National Center for Competency Testing.
• CMA Certification. Graduates from schools whose medical assistant programs are accredited of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health (CAAHEP) are qualified to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants CMA Exam. Those who will pass the exam are granted the Certified Medical Assistant credential.

Here is some information about medical assistant schools in Alaska.

University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK 99508

The UAA offers a 40-credit course of study which prepares students to become eligible to sit for the CMA Exam.  The program offers four career paths:

• AAS Degree in Medical Assisting
• Medical Office Coding
• Medical Transcription Courses
• Preparation for the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Exam

The UAA’s Medical Assistant Program by state prepares individuals to become multi-skilled allied health professionals. They are specifically trained to perform work in ambulatory settings executing both administrative and clinical tasks.

University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701

The UAF offers a Medical Assistant Certificate program that is accredited by the CAAHEP.  The program maintains class sizes small in order to give students highly individualized one-on-one training from outstanding faculty and instructors who have vast experience in the allied health industry.

Charter College – Anchorage
Anchorage, AK 99508

Charter College banks on directing students in achieving the highest level of academic performance as well as nourishing their personal and professional growth. The school aims to produce competent medical assistant graduates who can thrive and succeed in an ever-changing and diverse workplace. The college has a career placement program that assists graduates in their job search.

Medical assistant salary

The Department of Labor Statistics Survey in 2009 put Alaska in the top ten states with the highest medical assistant salaries. Second only to the District of Columbia, medical assistants in AK received an annual salary averaging $36,400. The states Labor and Workforce Development in the same year reported that medical assistants in AK had an average hourly wage of $17.50.

The future for medical assistant professionals in AK is indeed very promising. This is an eye opener for learning institutions to establish more medical assistant schools in Alaska.