As Certified Medical Assistants, we all have the same need to acquire continuing education credits. The primary purpose of AAMA is to provide continuing education to its member in order to make recertification a smooth and simple process. Despite these benefits, many of us have found ourselves in a situation where our recertification date is rapidly approaching and we are still short on continuing education credits. For this reason, AAMA offers CMA Today and online CEUs, as well as home study courses to enable Certified Medical Assistants to earn their continuing education credits from home. So some people ask “Why should I attend Chapter, OSMA and AAMA meetings and seminars to earn my CEUs?” This is an insight as to what the real benefits are to receiving your continuing education credits in person, rather than online or at home.
Many members attend monthly Chapter meetings, where they generally receive 1 hour of continuing education per month. Some Chapters meet quarterly and offer 3 hours of education per quarter. If a member attends all Chapter meetings, this may be all the continuing education they need. Many Chapters offer this education to its members at no charge to the member. Even a single CEU if earned through the CMA Today magazine costs $10.00 to earn. Being involved in your local Chapter is a great way to meet new people, many of which may become very good friends, a way to share ideas with others and network with your peers. The personal component to earning CEUs is worth much more than money, but it actually costs much less than earning CEUs at home.
Other members choose to earn their CEUs through OSMA meetings and some by attending AAMA National Conferences. The opportunities through this venue are limitless. The people a member meets during the course of a conference can lead to career opportunities, ideas for improving their work place or situation, an opportunity to share your ideas and get experience as a leader and the potential for making lifelong friendships. Most people that have continued to earn their CEUs through this avenue will say that there is no better way to experience continuing education than this.
Although all of the education is available online or through a home study packet, there is some lacking by earning your CEUs in the convenience of your own home, while sitting at your computer, by yourself. There are so many missed opportunities if a member chooses this path of continuing education. And although the OSMA and AAMA functions do involve some cost, what a member gets for their dollar is of much greater value than paying to study at home.
What a great organization we are all part of that offers so many opportunities for a member to educate herself or himself. Although we all can benefit from home study CEUs from time to time, don’t overlook the benefits of earning your CEUs the personal way, at a Chapter, State or National meeting. So, get out of the house and go to a meeting! You won’t regret the decision to meet your peers, share your ideas, become a leader, network with other medical professionals, all while you are earning your CEUs!
Kathy Puckett, CMA(AAMA)
OSMA President