Posted by Mary Pat Whaley on January 2, 2011
In addition to onsite and online undergraduate and graduate programs in healthcare administration and management, there are a number of programs that offer certification and registration (both terms meaning the same thing) for career healthcare managers.
When researching programs, some questions you should ask are:
- How long has the program been in existence?
- How many people have been credentialed through the program?
- What are prerequisites (education, experience, references, other)?
- Does the program have an education component in the form of mentoring, coaching, conferences, webinars, online classes, or in-person classes? Cost associated with each?
- What information is covered in the exam? How can I learn this information?
- What is the exam format (objective, essay, interview, presentation, other)?
- What is the exam media (paper & pencil, online at home, online at testing center, other)
- What are costs if the exams have to be repeated?
- Do you have any data about the earning power or success of those credentialed through your program versus those from other programs?
*****
American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
Cost: Membership requires a Bachelor’s degree. Annual dues are tiered and escalate from $150/year to $325/year over five years. Fellow exam is $450, recertification is every three years.
- Fellow American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE)
*****
American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE)
Cost: The education arm of Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), $275 annually (one-time $95 application fee), knowledge assessment $95, Body of Knowledge Review $29 each domain, exam workbook $119, objective exam $165, essay exam $165
- Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE)
- Fellow American College of Medical Practice Executives (FACMPE)
*****
American College of Physician Executives (ACPE)
Cost: Membership $280/year, Master’s degrees for physicians only
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst (online part-time MBA)
- University of Southern California (Master of Medical Management)
- Carnegie Mellon University (Master of Medical Management)
*****
International Association of Registered Health Care Professionals (ARHCP)
Cost: $120/year for membership, $385 per exam
- Registered Medical Manager (RMM)
- Registered Medical Coder (RMC)
*****
Physician Office Managers Association of America (POMAA)
Cost: Annual membership $110, study guides $100 each, exams $275 each
- Certified Practice Manager (CPM)
- Medical Coding Specialist (CPM-MCS)
- Human Resource Specialist (CPM-HRS)
*****
Practice Management Institute (PMI)
Cost: $799 – $999 for each program and exam – program available in-person, online or self-study. Annual recertification $75/year
- Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM)
- Certified Medical Compliance Office (CMCO)
- Certified Medical Insurance Specialist (CMIS)
*****
Professional Association of Health Care Office Management (PAHCOM)
Cost: $195/year membership, study guide $150, practice test $150, exam $385, recertification every 2 years $75
- Certified Medical Manager (CMM)
*****
The American Academy of Medical Management (AAMM)
Cost: $378/year membership – certification is available with or without exam for $259, recertification is $179 every 3 years
- Certified Medical Staff Recruiter (CMSR)
- Certified Administrator in Physician Practice Management (CAPPM)
- Executive Fellowship in Practice Management (EFPM)
- Physician Fellowship in Practice Management (PFPM)
- Fellowship in Medical Staff Development (FMSD)
*****
You may also want to read an earlier post on Manage My Practice: “How Does One Become a Medical Practice Manager?”
and read the other posts in the Category : A Career in Medical Management by clicking on the category on the sidebar to the right.
Tags: AAMM, ACHE, ACMPE, ACPE, American College of Healthcare Executives, American College of Medical Practice Executives, American College of Physician Executives, ARHCP, CAPPM, Carnegie Mellon University, certification, Certified Administrator in Physician Practice Management, Certified Medical Compliance Office, Certified Medical Insurance Specialist, Certified Medical Manager, Certified Medical Office Manager, Certified Medical Practice Executive, Certified Medical Staff Recruiter, Certified Practice Manager, CMCO, CMIS, CMM, CMOM, CMPE, CMSR, CPM, CPM-HRS, CPM-MCS, EFPM, Executive Fellowship in Practice Management, FACHE, FACMPE, Fellow American College of Healthcare Executives, Fellow American College of Medical Practice Executives, Fellowship in Medical Staff Development, FMSD, healthcare administration, how to manage a medical practice, Human Resource Specialist, International Association of Registered Health Care Professionals, learning to be a medical office manager, Master of Medical Management, Medical Coding Specialist, Medical Group Management Association, MGMA, PFPM, Physician Fellowship in Practice Management, Physician Office Managers Association of America, physicians as managers, POMAA, practice management, practice management certification, practice management degree, questions to ask certification programs, Registered Medical Coder, registration, RMC, RMM, The American Academy of Medical Management, University of Massachusetts, University of Southern California, where to learn how to manage a medical practice
Posted in: A Career in Practice Management
Recently, my friend Bob approached me with an idea. He has decided that he wants to become a medical coder. When he first told me he was interested in exploring coding as a career, I didn’t really think he knew what he was talking about. As Bob itemized the reasons for his interest however, I became more and more convinced it could work.