A CMA, or Certified Medical Assistant, is a medical assistant who is already certified by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). This kind of certification is typically considered as a professional “seal of approval” or a physical proof that attest that a particular medical assistant has the the necessary knowledge, skills, and qualifications to work as a medical assistant. Being a medical assistant means that one must have completed a degree in medical assisting which is offered by various online medical assistant programs and medical assisting schools.

A medical assistant may already work legally without getting a certification. However, since most of the employers nowadays require their medical assistants to be certified, it is really recommended for the medical assistants to get themselves certified before trying to look for a job, as they will become more in demand as soon as they get this kind of “proof or seal of approval”.