How to Become a Medical Assistant in Rhode Island

Who can apply

• Rhode Island does not license medical assistants. RIDOH describes them as unlicensed workers who may qualify through education, work experience and demonstrated competency.
• Your supervisor must have a written supervisory agreement listing your tasks and keep a record of your training and competency.

Step by step

1. Finish a medical assisting program or get on-the-job training.
2. Optionally earn a national certification (for example CMA-AAMA or RMA-AMT). Certification or verified competency allows a broader set of tasks.
3. Sign a written supervisory agreement with your supervising licensed professional that lists your role and tasks.
4. Show competency for each clinical task; your supervisor records it and updates the record at least yearly.
5. Work under direct supervision: your supervisor must be immediately available in person on the premises while you give direct patient care.

Training and exam

Training: No state-mandated program. RIDOH guidance requires the supervisor to verify and document your competency in each clinical task in the supervisory agreement, updated at least annually. Medical assistants in hospitals follow hospital regulations instead.

Exam: No state exam; national certification is voluntary. Certification, registration or verified competency lets you do more tasks (such as blood draws and vaccines). Taking x-rays requires a full Rhode Island radiographer license, which requires ARRT certification.

What it costs in Rhode Island

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Good to know in Rhode Island

What a medical assistant can do in Rhode Island: RIDOH lists tasks under a standing or patient-specific order, such as vital signs, entering data into records, medication reconciliation, and collecting urine, sputum, semen and stool specimens. With certification, registration or verified competency, tasks can include blood draws and giving vaccines and medications orally, subcutaneously or intramuscularly (no controlled substances).

What a medical assistant cannot do: The state guidelines list tasks medical assistants can never perform, including triage, giving controlled substances, giving contrast dyes and giving IV injections of any kind. Medical assistants may not interpret tests or findings. Your supervisor can only supervise tasks within their own scope of practice.

X-ray: R.I. Gen. Laws 5-68.1-4 bars anyone from practicing radiologic technology without a license. The exemptions cover licensed practitioners, dentists, dental hygienists and certified dental assistants, certain podiatry assistants and others, but not medical assistants. Rhode Island has no limited x-ray permit for medical assistants; the radiographer license application ($60) requires ARRT certification.

Complaints: Complaints about a medical assistant go to the board that licenses the supervisor.

Sources

• RIDOH - Medical Assistants and Their Supervisors
• RI Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline - Guidelines Regarding Scope of Practice, Supervision, and Minimum Expectations of Conduct of Medical Assistants (Feb 2014; copy hosted by AAMA)
• R.I. Gen. Laws 5-68.1-4 - Radiologic technologists: license required
• RIDOH - Radiographer license application