This past December, the Ross Medical Education Center Port Huron, Michigan campus hosted a very special guest speaker. This guest was Ms. Sieglinde Wilde from the American Medical Technologists (AMT). Sieglinde is the President of the Michigan Chapter for AMT and has also worked as a Medical Lab Technician II (MLT) for 49 years. Ms. Wilde took time to visit the Port Huron campus to share with students her abundance of knowledge surrounding the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) exam and to discuss the importance of certification in the healthcare field.
Ms. Wilde shared with students in the Medical Assistant program that upon taking their RMA exam they will receive their test results immediately. Once they have passed the exam, they are certified as Medical Assistants. To maintain this title, a graduate must obtain continuing education credits (CEU) and pay an annual membership fee. Ms. Wilde stressed the importance of obtaining 30 CEUs within the required three year time frame and staying current with all fees and dues associated with the American Medical Technologists. If a student does not meet these requirements they may lose their certification. As a member of the AMT, a person receives valuable information pertaining to the healthcare field throughout the year. Students can also sign up for a student membership through the AMT website.
Ms. Wilde informed students of the scholarships and awards that are offered by American Medical Technologists. Of special interest is the Technical Writing Award. For this award, students can submit an article pertaining to knowledge they have gained during their educational studies. The AMT Student Activity Committee will judge the entries and present the first, second, and third place winners with a cash prize during the American Medical Technologists National Convention. Students at the Port Huron campus were particularly interested in this award and many have already began brainstorming topics for an article. Ms. Wilde also discussed scholarship opportunities, for which students must apply for before they begin their program of study.
Currently, there are 40,800 members in the Michigan Chapter of the American Medical Technologists organization. Ms. Wilde’s visit is one of the many ways that Port Huron campus hopes to continue to grow Michigan memberships and promote certification in the Allied Health field. For more information about the RMA certification exam and student memberships, please visit www.americanmedtech.org.