ISU Medical Assisting Coordinator Helps Shape National Certification Standards as AAMA Board Vice Chair

At Idaho State University, medical assisting students are preparing for careers in healthcare, guided by instructors who understand what it takes to succeed in clinical practice. One of those instructors also plays an important role in helping ensure the national certification exam measures the knowledge and skills essential to the profession.

Alisha Harris, a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) (AAMA) and the coordinator and clinical instructor for ISU's Medical Assisting Program, serves as first vice chair of the American Association of Medical Assistants Certifying Board.

The board oversees the Certified Medical Assistant credential, known as the CMA (AAMA). Its job is to protect the credential's integrity and keep it valid, reliable, and current as the profession evolves.

"Serving on the AAMA Certifying Board gives me the opportunity to contribute to the medical assisting profession at a national level while bringing that experience directly back to my students at Idaho State University," Harris said.

The board runs the program that grants and renews the credential. It oversees how the certification exam is developed, decides who can take it, sets how testing is handled, and determines what material the exam covers. It also sets the requirements medical assistants must meet to stay certified.

On top of that, the board oversees the Task Force for Test Construction, the group that writes and reviews the questions on the certification exam.

As first vice chair, Harris works alongside the board's chair on operations, national meetings, and special projects. That includes supporting the task force as it builds the exam.

She also stays involved in the board's bigger picture: making sure the credential reflects what today's medical assistants need to succeed. That means more than knowing the material—it means thinking critically, solving problems, and working like a professional.

The role gives Harris a front-row seat to the standards new medical assistants are measured against, from what shows up on the exam to the skills expected of someone just starting out. She brings that knowledge straight back to her ISU classroom, where she prepares students to pass the exam, land jobs, and settle into their careers.

"Being involved in the certification process gives me a firsthand understanding of the standards and expectations our students will encounter as they enter the profession," Harris said.

The connection goes both ways. Harris brings national expertise home to ISU, but she also carries an educator's perspective to the national stage. Her seat on the board lets her help shape decisions affecting the profession while speaking up for what it really takes to train the next generation of medical assistants.

"I value being able to use that knowledge in the classroom while also bringing an educator's perspective to national discussions about the future of medical assisting," she said.

Whether she's in front of students or at the board table, the goal stays the same: preparing skilled medical assistants who can give patients safe, quality care.

"For me, the most rewarding part is knowing that the work we do at both levels ultimately helps prepare competent, confident medical assistants who are ready to provide high-quality patient care," Harris said.

To learn more about ISU's Medical Assisting Program, visit isu.edu/medicalassisting.