^{By Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA
Originally published November 30, 2022}

I recently received the following question about medical assisting credentials: 

My new employer tells me that the [RMA(AMT)] credential is better than the CMA (AAMA) credential because the R in RMA stands for registered, and registered nurses (RNs) are licensed. Is this correct? 

This understanding is incorrect. The registered medical assistant (RMA) of American Medical Technologists (AMT) and the CMA (AAMA) are both national credentials. The presence of the word registered in a credential does not make it equivalent to a license. Similarly, the presence of the word certified in a credential does not make it inferior to a credential containing the word registered. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), for example, are licensed.