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Beginning July 15, 2026, all medical assistants performing clinical duties must hold current national CMA certification to remain in their roles. Without it, they will be reclassified as Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP) under South Carolina law, dramatically limiting the clinical tasks they can perform and changing how they must be supervised.
The statute allows a healthcare employer to deliver a training program that aligns with a nationally accredited certification exam (this is "Step 1" as outlined below). The SCMA cannot assess your in-house training programs, but can offer the proper framework to serve as a checklist to ensure that your practice has met the requirements.
SUCCESS! Your practice has a credentialed CMA — and the documentation through the SCMA ETP checklist to prove it.
Q: I have an MA who has been working for over a year. Do they need to start over with their training, or can we count the training and experience that they have already acquired?
A: No need to start over. You can use the ETP Guide to document the training your medical assistants have already received (past training). If they have been performing clinical duties for one year, they may already meet the NHA CCMA work-experience requirement and be ready to sit for the exam.
Q: Is fulfilling the on-the-job training checklist enough to meet the certification requirement?
A: No, the statute for certification requires: (1) education through on-the-job training (SCMA CMA guide) or through an accredited educational program (coursework), and also (2) a certification exam.
An employer may not delegate its obligation to provide qualifying on-the-job training by relying solely on online classes, unless those classes meet the accreditation standards specified in the statute.
Once the training requirement has been fulfilled (either through on-the-job training or through an accredited educational program) the candidate must also register directly with one of seven national testing organizations and pass the exam:
The MA will simply create an account with one of the above organizations, apply for the exam, and then schedule testing either online (with a live proctor) or at an approved testing site. (NOTE: Testing is NOT provided by SCMA, nor are any of the above testing organizations affiliated with the South Carolina Medical Association.)
Q: Does the SCMA guide contain practice test materials? Is an exam "study guide" included?
A: No, the guide does NOT contain study materials, practice tests, or the actual certification exam. Instead, the guide is designed to support hands-on training and proper documentation for physician practices, so your staff are well-prepared to pursue certification through an approved testing organization. Study materials are offered by most of the national testing organizations above.
Q: I am not an SCMA member. Can I still receive the guide?
A: Yes! While the guide for SCMA members is $500, the cost for non-members is $1,000. That means physicians can save over $100 by simply renewing their membership or joining SCMA for 2026, and then purchasing the guide at the member rate!
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