I recently received the following question:
My physician employer contacted the state medical board and asked whether she could delegate a particular task to a medical assistant. The staffer at the medical board replied that the board does not regulate medical assistants and therefore he was not able to answer the question. My physician employer wants to know how she can obtain an answer from the medical board.
Your physician employer should ask the state medical board whether the medical practice act and the regulations and policies of the medical board permit her to delegate a certain task to an unlicensed employee. The question should not contain the term “medical assistant” unless this term is found in the medical practice act and/or the regulations of the medical board. By using “unlicensed employee” instead of “medical assistant,” it is more likely that your physician employer will receive an answer to her question.
Legal Eye 
What about “Ma” who are working in Doctors office as” MA”s ,that did not go to any schools.These people are trained by other nurses ( LPN, and or RN ) and the Doctors. Then they tell them they can sit for or challenge the CMA, test. It makes me so mad, I worked hard to go to school and take the CMA test, and work for the same office for over 30 years working my but off to give patients my heart and sole for 12.00 and hour. Then to find out they are paying these so called MA’s more then the real CMS’s. Now you know why I left the job , to find a better one , working with special needs kids.
Thank you for your response. I understand the point you have made so well. Many of us share this opinion in some way.
It is important to keep in mind that only medical assistants who have formal medical assisting education that meets the requirements of the Certifying Board of the AAMA are permitted to take the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam and become CMAs (AAMA). Other testing bodies have eligibility pathways for their medical assisting certification tests that do not require formal medical assisting education.
Thank you again for your response.
Donald A Balasa JD MBA
CEO and House Legal Counsel
American Association of Medical Assistants
dbalasa@aama-ntl.orgdbalasa@aama-ntl.org