Become a Medical Assistant in San Antonio
How To Become a Medical Assistant in San Antonio: 4 Key Issues
1. Education
CCI Training, like most medical assistant schools, requires that entering students meet at least one of 3 educational requirements:
- High school degree
- GED or equivalent
- An associate degree/bachelor’s degree
You can take the GED exam at several locations in San Antonio, including high schools, community colleges, and adult education centers. Specific sites listed include:
- San Antonio Independent School District: 623 S Pecos, San Antonio, TX. Phone: 210-227-1237. Website: San Antonio ISD
- San Antonio College: 1300 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX. Phone: 210-486-0448. Website: San Antonio College
- St. Philip’s College: 1801 Martin Luther King Dr., San Antonio, TX. Phone: 210-486-2444. Website: St. Philip’s College
- Edgewood School: 563 W 40Th Street, San Antonio, TX. Phone: 210-444-7947. Website: Edgewood Independent School
- North East School: 8750 Tesoro, San Antonio, TX. Phone: 210-657-8866. Website: NISD Adult Education
Additionally, the Alamo Colleges District offers a comprehensive High School Equivalency (HSE) program which includes GED® prep courses. These courses are available in various formats, such as face-to-face, Zoom, or self-paced, and cover all four GED® exam subject areas: mathematics, language arts, social studies, and science. The program provides practice tests and free exam vouchers, aiming to help students pass the GED exam and earn a Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency (TxCHSE)
- You can take the Texas GED exam online (requiring a “GED Ready” practice test first) for $42/subject, or in-person for $36/subject. There are 4 subjects required to get a GED, so the total cost is $169 or $144, respectively.
- You can take the GED test at certain Pearson VUE test centers across town.
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2. Certification
In Texas, there’s no state mandate for medical assistants (MAs) to hold a license; however, certification is commonly favored or mandated by employers for enhanced employment opportunities and credibility. The following are the key certifications accessible to medical assistants:
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) – Also offered by the NHA, this certification focuses on the administrative tasks of a medical assistant. Eligibility includes completing an educational program or having relevant work experience.
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) – Offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), this certification requires passing an exam and either completing an accredited medical assisting program or meeting specific work experience requirements. Exams are held at Prometric locations around Houston (see below).
- Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) – Provided by the American Medical Technologists (AMT), to be eligible, candidates must graduate from an accredited program or have a certain amount of work experience, among other pathways. The RMA test is offered at Pearson VUE test centers in Houston (see locations below).
- National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) – The National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) offers this certification. Eligibility includes graduation from an approved program, sufficient work experience, or a combination of both. The exam can be taken in-person or online and the fee is $119. In-person tests in Houston are proctored by Prometric. For more info, call the NCCT at 913-498-1243.
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) – The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) offers this certification, focusing on the clinical aspects of medical assisting. Eligible candidates must complete an accredited program or have work experience in the field. The exam can be taken online or in-person at a PSI testing center. The exam fee is $119. To find an in-person test center in Houston, call the NHA at 913-498-1243.
Testing Centers in San Antonio
The following are a list of testing centers that offer proctored exams:
- Pearson VUE
- Pearson Professional Center – 10000 San Pedro Ave Suite 175 San Antonio Texas 78216. Phone: (210) 340-3628. (map, Google reviews)
- Pearson Professional Center – 6100 Bandera Rd. #407, San Antonio Texas 78238. Phone: (726) 202-3230. (map, Google reviews)
- See the Pearson VUE website for more options: Pearson VUE
- Prometric
- PSI Testing Centers
3. Jobs and Employers
Job Boards
Below is a list of medical assistant job openings from major job boards, specifically in the San Antonio area:
Employers Hiring Medical Assistants in San Antonio
Here is a list of allied healthcare organizations in the local San Antonio area. Consult their websites “career” section to find job opportunities:
| Hospital Name | Number of Beds | Health System | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Medical Center | Part of 1,700+ | Baptist Health System | baptisthealthsystem.com |
| Mission Trail Baptist Hospital | Part of 1,700+ | Baptist Health System | baptisthealthsystem.com |
| North Central Baptist Hospital | Part of 1,700+ | Baptist Health System | baptisthealthsystem.com |
| Northeast Baptist Hospital | Part of 1,700+ | Baptist Health System | baptisthealthsystem.com |
| St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital | Part of 1,700+ | Baptist Health System | baptisthealthsystem.com |
| Resolute Health Hospital | Part of 1,700+ | Baptist Health System | baptisthealthsystem.com |
| The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio | 202 | CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System | chofsa.org |
| CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Medical Center | 178 | CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System | christussantarosa.org/medicalcenter |
| CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Alamo Heights | 36 | CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System | christussantarosa.org/alamoheights |
| CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Westover Hills | 150 | CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System | christussantarosa.org/westoverhills |
| Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of San Antonio | 108 | Encompass Health | encompasshealth.com/sanantoniorehab |
| Kindred Hospital San Antonio | 59 | Kindred Healthcare | kindred.com |
| Methodist Hospital | 811 | Methodist Healthcare System | sahealth.com |
| Methodist Children’s Hospital | 202 | Methodist Healthcare System | sahealth.com |
| Metropolitan Methodist Hospital | 354 | Methodist Healthcare System | sahealth.com |
| Methodist Stone Oak Hospital | 242 | Methodist Healthcare System | sahealth.com |
| Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital | 383 | Methodist Healthcare System | sahealth.com |
| Northeast Methodist Hospital | 177 | Methodist Healthcare System | sahealth.com |
| Methodist Texsan Hospital | 120 | Methodist Healthcare System | sahealth.com |
| Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Hospital | 22 | Methodist Healthcare System | sahealth.com |
| Nix Health | 252 | Nix Health Care System | nixhealth.com |
| Southwest General Hospital | 327 | Steward Healthcare | swgeneralhospital.com |
| South Texas Spine & Surgical Hospital | 30 | Surgery Partners | SouthTexasSurgical.com |
| University Hospital | 1,034 | University Health System | universityhealthsystem.com |
