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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 New Jersey.
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 New Jersey 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, whether or not they choose to pursue a degree or certificate, must graduate from high school or earn a GED. Aspiring medical assistants who have not yet completed high school can often earn a GED with just a few weeks of study.
Training is crucial to ensure safe and efficient patient care. Before working with patients, it's important to learn about sterility, infection control, patient safety, and documentation.
Aspiring medical assistants in New Jersey can opt for an online certification program, a trade school certificate, or a degree program.
Online courses are often the most flexible and cost-effective option. For instance, Stepful offers a 4-month online medical assistant program that prepares you for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) certification.
Degree programs, often in person, can cost more than $10,000 and take at least two years to complete. Healthcare organizations typically prefer certified medical assistants but rarely require a degree in medical assisting.
After completing classroom training, an externship provides hands-on experience. During this period, students work with experienced medical assistants to become proficient in skills such as measuring vital signs, drawing blood, and placing EKG leads.
Organizations in New Jersey that offer externship opportunities to medical assistants may include Hackensack University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and RWJ Barnabas Health, these are not necessarily related to Stepful.
Our program offers students support to get the clinical experience needed, by coaching them and providing access to interviews with partners within the student’s location.
The final step is passing a certification exam. Most training programs prepare students for one of the following certifications:
Each of these certifications meets the requirements set by the New Jersey government for certified medical assistants. All certification exams have similar passing rates, length, cost, and content.
Job search platforms like Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter have numerous postings for certified medical assistants. Additionally, consider checking healthcare organization websites or New Jersey's state website for opportunities.
If you feel overwhelmed by job applications and interviews, programs like Stepful's offer support. Their faculty assists students in searching for openings, building resumes, and practicing interview skills.
New Jersey law does require medical assistants to have training and certification for specific tasks.
Medical assistants in New Jersey are not required to have a license or register with the state medical board or board of nursing.
The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs has specified that there are tasks that may or may not fall within the scope of practice of the medical assistant, depending on their training and certifications.
In New Jersey, medical assistants should not perform any task that requires advanced knowledge of medicine or where there is a risk of serious harm. However, they are permitted to perform some more advanced skills if they have been trained or are certified.
This means, medical assistants in New Jersey should not:
Medical assistants can work with patients without a certification but have a larger scope of practice with a certification.
Tasks that can be performed by any medical assistant include:
Administrative Responsibilities
In New Jersey, medical assistants have a positive overall job outlook. Between 2023 and 2033, job opportunities for medical assistants across the United States are expected to increase by 15%. This is better than the outlook for other healthcare jobs during the same timeframe (12%), and over three times higher than the average job growth across the country (4%),
As of May 2023, there are currently about 19,880 medical assisting jobs in the state or 4.73 per 1,000 residents. New Jersey cities with the highest number of medical assistants include Trenton, Ocean City, and Atlantic City.
Medical assistants in New Jersey earn a decent salary. The median salary for medical assistants in New Jersey is $45,340 per year or $21.80 per hour. They have an average pay of $19.92 per hour or $46,387 per year.
The New Jersey Society of Medical Assistants (NJSMA) is a nonprofit organization created by medical assistants to help other medical assistants improve their practice.
The NJSMA offers an annual conference, continuing education discounts, legal protection and information, networking opportunities, and a quarterly newsletter.
Other organizations that support medical assistants in their careers include the American Medical Technologists, the National Healthcareer Association, and the American Association of Medical Assistants.
