The American Association of Medical Assistants(AAMA) is the certifying body for Certified Medical Assistants(CMA).
In the US, most medical assistant programs are accredited by the AAMA. Medical assistants who are certified through the AAMA are required to complete at least 60 Continuing Education Credits(CEUs) every 5 years.
Although medical assistants in most aren't REQUIRED to be certified by the AAMA, most medical facilities prefer AAMA-qualified employees. Finding CEUs to complete is fairly easy. Most can be done online. 1 CEU is equal to 1 hour of continuing education. So although finding CEUs is simple, most cost money, anywhere from $99 per 60 CEUs to several hundred dollars per CEU.
However, there are also many sources for free CEUs. Instructors of CPR & first aid classes are able to provide a minimum of 4 CEUs which can go towards AAMA recertification.
Continuing education units for medical assistants can be for topics outside of the physicians' offices. Nurse.com, a popular resource for many healthcare providers, including nurses and medical assistants, provides plenty of free CEUs. They also offer many paid CEUs.
The free CEUs at Nurse.com cover a wide range of topics. Some examples:
A quick search reveals at least 15 CEUs are available for free from Nurse.com.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) offers many free CEU opportunities.
Here's a sample of some of the CDC's free continuing education sources:
Medscape is an online community offering expert opinions which is used as a reference by many healthcare professionals. The free CEUs offered by Medscape are accepted by the AAMA. There are many topics available, some of which are applicable to medical assistants. A small sample:
Avera Health is a healthcare system serving residents of South Dakota. Avera offers many opportunities to earn free CEUs, and they can ALL be done online! No need to travel all the way to Sioux Falls. Some popular CEU topics: