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Stepful’s Medical Assistant program is designed for those looking to take the next step in their careers by becoming a certified medical assistant in Kentucky.
Our online program prepares you to earn your Certified Clinical Medical Assistant certification from the National Healthcareer Association and perform all the duties of medical assistants, including both those in the front office as well as working with patients.
Our Kentucky Medical Assistant classes take 4 months to complete and cover all essential topics such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, healthcare systems, phlebotomy, EKG, patient care coordination, and much more.
The Stepful staff is here to support you at every stage of the journey. From career preparedness to help finding an in-person externship*, we're here to help you launch your career in healthcare.
*Please note, students must be available M-F, 9-5 p.m. to be eligible for externship support.
All medical assistants must either have a high school diploma or pass their GED exam. If you choose to enroll in and complete a medical assistant course, which is highly recommended, you will need to present proof of high school graduation or GED to your chosen program.
There are a variety of options available to students seeking a medical assistant certification. Online programs cost a few hundred dollars and can be completed in about 12 weeks, while community colleges and trade schools offer in-person programs that last between 3 and 6 months.
At Stepful, we offer a comprehensive 4-month program designed to prepare our students for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam, one of the most recognized certifications from the National Health Association (NHA).
An externship is an essential part of a medical assistant training program. While the information learned in the classroom is important, nothing can replace the hands-on practice that an externship offers. Externships for medical assistants typically last 40-160 hours and are unpaid.
Programs like ours help you land interviews for externships, so you can get the hands-on clinical experience you need to finish your training successfully.
Organizations in Kentucky, not necessarily in partnership with Stepful, that offer externship opportunities to medical assistants may include the University of Kentucky and Norton Healthcare.
Medical assistant training classes usually prepare students for one of three certification exams. These include the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), and the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) from the American Medical Technologists (AMT).
Here at Stepful we offer preparation for the most common certification nationwide, the CCMA from the NHA in just 4 months, with flexible class schedules.
Completing a certification course gives you a leg up over uncertified medical assistants while searching for a job.
Students who are overwhelmed by the process of applying for work can rest assured that our staff at Stepful will help students create great resumes and practice their interview skills to land their dream jobs.
Aspiring medical assistants can also use job search engines such as Indeed, Monster, and ZipRecruiter.
Medical assistants in Kentucky are not required to have a certification. However, 87% of employers require or encourage certification for their medical assistants.
Kentucky medical assistants are not required to have a license to practice. However, they work under the license of a registered nurse or licensed medical provider. The nurse or provider then delegates responsibilities to the medical assistant and takes ultimate responsibility for their actions.
Medical assistants in Kentucky do not have a well-defined scope of practice. According to the Kentucky Board of Nursing (KBN), unlicensed assistive personnel such as medical assistants can perform tasks that are delegated to them by a competent nurse or physician. Delegators can use the KBN decision tree to determine whether a task is appropriate for a medical assistant.
While there is not a specific list of tasks, the KBN decision tree makes it clear that medical assistants should not be given the following responsibilities:
Licensed physicians and registered nurses are ultimately responsible for any task they delegate to the medical assistant. This means that it is up to the advanced practice provider to assess the knowledge and skill level of each medical assistant and delegate appropriately.
Medical assistants in Kentucky can:
Administrative Responsibilities
According to the BLS, Medical assistants have a much better job outlook than average, which is around 4%. In fact, the job outlook for medical assistants is more than 3 times higher than the national average. Between 2023 and 2033, job opportunities for medical assistants are expected to increase by 15%.
As of May 2023, there are currently about 12,460 medical assisting jobs in the state, or 6.374 jobs per 1,000 residents. If you live in Kentucky and are looking for a job, Louisville, Jefferson County, and Lexington-Fayette are the best places to look.
Medical assistants in Kentucky earn a decent salary. The median salary for medical assistants in Kentucky is $37,140 per year or $17.86 per hour. and an average pay of $18.01 per hour, or $41,949 per year.
The Kentucky Society of Medical Assistants supports medical assistants in Kentucky. They are affiliated with the American Association of Medical Assistants. In addition to hosting an annual conference and listing job opportunities for local medical assistants, they publish a monthly newsletter with practice updates, offer scholarships and awards to exceptional medical assistants, and give discounts on the CMA exam.
