Medical Assistant Jobs and Programs in North Dakota – Schools, Salary, and License Info

How to Become a Medical Assistant in North Dakota

In North Dakota, medical assistants do really good work.

But they don’t work on their own.

They are constantly being supervised by nurses.

In addition, they have to register with the North Dakota of Nursing as Technician-Medical Assistants.

Medical Assistants’ duties, however, are various.

One of them is to distribute medication.

In order for a medical assistant to do so, he or she needs to register as a Medication Assistant III with the North Dakota Board of Nursing.

Registering in one of these Boards, the student needs to earn an education in medical assisting that is approved by the Board.

This field in North Dakota is expected to grow to a huge extent in the future.

However, being one of them isn’t that simple.

But I will try to make it so, by showing you the 4 steps you need to take.

These steps are:

• Become Eligible to Register as a Medical Assistant and Medication Assistant III
• Learn About the Different Pathways to Becoming Eligible for Registration
• Register with the North Dakota Board of Nursing
• Maintain Your Medical Assistant Credentials and Registration

Step 1. Become Eligible to Register as a Medical Assistant and Medication Assistant III

Medical Assistant Registration

Registering as a medical assistant with the North Dakota Board of Nursing, one needs to complete a formal training program that is recognized by the Board.

But getting one of these credentials is also necessary:

• Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
• Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
• Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
• National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA)

Medication Assistant III

Through the above-mentioned credentials, a candidate may also register as a medication assistant III.

He or she can do so through the North Dakota of Nursing.

In an alternate way, candidates may also attend and graduate from a nursing education program, which offers a course in the administration of education too.

Choosing this program, one will also be able to attend other courses such as:

• Clinical nursing component
• Development of basic clinical skills
• Basic pharmacology
• Mathematics

To register as Medication Assistant III, the candidate needs to also be a medical assisting or unlicensed assistive person in the first place.

When registered as a medication assistant, the candidate will be able to administer medication in medical assisting.

When working like this, the candidate will be considered as a Medication Assistant.

Since the Medication Assistant III official title has been taken only to make the difference between the Medication Assistant I and II.

The three of the professions are not practiced in the same terms and they are also governed by different bodies.

Medical assistants and Medication Assistant IIIs in North Dakota work under the supervision and direction of a medical professional.

The work with one of the following nursing credentials:

• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
• Registered Nurse (RN)
• Most Responsible Nurse (MRN)

Step 2. Learn About the Different Pathways to Becoming Eligible for Registration

To become a registered medical assistant in North Dakota, you will need to earn a credential cost what it may.

From the optional credentials, you may get one from the following national certification agencies:

• Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) – sponsored by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
• Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) – sponsored by American Medical Technologists (AMT)
• National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) – sponsored by the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)
• Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) – sponsored by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)

Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)

To earn a CMA credential you must make sure you meet two conditions:

• Graduate from a medical assistant school that is accredited by either of the following agencies:
  • The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
  • The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
• Pass the Certified Medical Assistant Exam

The application for the CMA exam can be done online.

While it is offered locally in the Prometric testing centers in two places in North Dakota, in Bismarck and Grand Forks.

The test consists of 200 questions which are multiple-choice ones.

The exam will take 160 minutes to fill in.

Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)

To be able to get the RMA credential, you need to meet one of these qualifications:

• Graduate from an accredited program that includes at least 720 hours of content on medical assisting, including 160 hours of a clinical externship
• Complete a medical assistant training program as part of service in the US Armed Forces
• Graduated from high school and have at least five years of work experience as a medical assistant that includes both clinical and administrative duties
• Be a medical assistant teacher with at least five years of teaching experience, or have teaching experience combined with multiple years of clinical medical assisting experience
• Earn a professional medical assistant credential from another national association; if you become eligible via this route you will be exempt from taking the RMA Exam

As soon as you fulfill one of these requirements, you will have to sit for and pass the RMA exam as well.

National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA)

To qualify for the NCMA credential, the candidate needs to choose a path that leads to it.

These paths are many, and they are as follows:

• Graduate from, or be a current student at a medical assistant school that is approved by the NCCT
• Have two years of full-time work experience as a medical assistant
• Have worked as a medical assistant as part of service in the US Armed Forces
• Be a licensed doctor or nurse in a foreign country
• Have at least 10 years of work experience as a medical instructor
• Earn a professional medical assistant credential from another national organization

Of course, after being qualified, the candidate must also pass the NCMA exam.

Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)

This credential also requires an exam to be qualified with it.

So basically, you need to sit for and pass the Certified Clinical Medical Exam as well.

Step 3. Register with the North Dakota Board of Nursing

Registering with the North Dakota Board of Nursing is the next step to pursue after meeting the requirements of becoming a medical assistant and medication assistant.

Registering with the Board is possible through filling out the necessary forms and submitting them to the office in Bismarck.

Technician – Medical Assistant

• Technician Registry Application
• Verification of Enrollment Form
• Official transcripts from a formal medical assistant training program or approved national medical assistant credential
• Fees totaling between $30 and $50 depending on your situation

Medication Assistant III

• Initial Medical Assistant III Registry Application
• One of the following:
  • Official medical assistant school transcripts and a copy of your approved medical assistant credential (CMA, RMA, NCMA, or CCMA)
  • A Verification of Eligibility for Medication Assistant Directory Form submitted by your nursing education program
  • Fees totaling between $40-$90 depending on your situation

After registration, the name of the candidate will be put in the list of the Unlicensed Assistive Personnel Technician-Medication Assistant III Registry in the state.

As such, it is referred to as the UAP Technician –MAAIII Registry.

But if one has been registered as a Technician Medical Assistant before, he or she must make sure he is really registered that way in order to register as a Medication Assistant III.

Step 4. Maintain Your Medical Assistant Credentials and Registration

Everything does not end with the registration of the credentials.

The medical assistant registration expires every two years by June 30.

In order to do so one needs to meet these requirements:

• Verify that you have been employed as a Technician – Medical Assistant
• Have your employer verify that you are a competent medical assistant
• Pay a $30 renewal fee

In North Dakota, every credential expires eventually.

The Medication Assistant III also requires renewal.

Its expiration date is in two years, just like the other credential.

To renew, one needs to:

• Submit a Medical Assistant III renewal application
• Pay a $40 renewal fee
• Do one of the following:
  • Maintain one of the following professional medical assistant credentials: CMA, RMA, NCMA, or CCMA
  • Demonstrate evidence of clinical practice hours as part of a nursing education program in the preceding two years

Each professional medical assistant credential has its own renewal requirements:

• CMA – every five years you need to either retake the CMA Exam or earn 60 re-certification points, including 30 points from AAMA-Approved continuing education units
• RMA – maintain an annual membership with RMT and earn 30 Certification Continuing Program (CCP) points every three years
• NCMA – complete a prescribed course of Continuing Education (CE) that is approved by the NCCT
• CCMA – earn at least 10 Continuing Education (CE) credits every two years

One way to stay in touch with the legislative updates in North Dakota in terms of these professional medical assistant credentials is to check for sponsoring agencies throughout the state.

They will also help out with the continuing education, medical assistant jobs, and similar issues in the state as far as medical assisting is concerned.

The Best Medical Assisting Schools in North Dakota

There are two medical assisting schools in North Dakota.

But they are enough.

Especially, when considering the several credentials you can get out of them.

Anyway, you will need both to prosper in medical assisting.

Medical Assisting Salaries in North Dakota

Medical Assisting salaries in North Dakota have been listed below.

A minimum, maximum and the average salary per year have been shown as well.

However, if you’re looking to move in the state for this career path, you need to know more.

You need to do your best to qualify as much as possible in the profession.

Because that is the greatest salary asset in the state.

Annual Salary Range:

Regional Salary in North Dakota

Medical Assisting by State