If you are considering studying for a qualification in one of the many rewarding allied healthcare professions, then you will need to ensure that the higher education institution you wish to attend is properly accredited to provide the program you are thinking about undertaking.
Why this is Important
The reason for this is because once you have successfully completed your course, you still need to sit a special exam provided by a professional body, not your college or university, in order to become certified – and certification is often required by employers and the law.? You will also be unable to become a full member of your chosen profession’s association without certification.
This applies to allied healthcare professions such as:
| Profession | Accrediting Body |
| Anesthesiologist Assistant | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) |
| Anesthesia Technician | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Accreditation Review Committee for the Anesthesia Technologist/ Technician |
| Cardiovascular Technologist | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT) |
| Emergency Medical Technician / Paramedic | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the EMS
Professions (CoAEMSP) |
| Kinesiotherapist | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Committee on Accreditation of Education Programs for Kinesiotherapy |
| Lactation Consultant | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Lactation Education Accreditation and Approval Review Committee |
| Medical Assistant* | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) |
| Medical Illustrator | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Accreditation Review Committee for the Medical Illustrator |
| Orthotist | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education |
| Perfusionist | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Accreditation Committee – Perfusion Education |
| Polysomnographic Technologist | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Committee on Accreditation for Polysomnographic Technologist Education (CoA PSG) |
| Prosthetist | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education |
| Respiratory Therapist | Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) |
| Surgical Assistant | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting |
| Surgical Technologist | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting |
*Certification for medical assisting is not required in most states, however many employers do require it – source: Job Advertisement Requirements for Medical Assistants in the USA
Additional Resources
If you are unsure about the accreditation status of the program you are interested in enrolling in, you can use the CAAHEP Accredited Program Search tool.? This allows you to search their database for a wide range of allied healthcare professions and you can narrow your preferences down by state and the type of credential being offered – for example you can find all institutions in Oklahoma which are accredited to provide Exercise Science Diplomas.? They also have an option to search for schools which have had their accreditation withdrawn within the last year.
If you want information on any healthcare industry profession, not just allied, then you can get that from the American Medical Association’s Health Care Careers Directory.? They cover absolutely everything from Physicians to Nursing and Dentistry to Veterinary medicine.? It’s a great directory to find out about all the different kinds of healthcare careers that are available, and it gives you complete background information on what’s involved in each role, the level of education and qualification required, as well as the income you can expect to earn once employed.
Conclusion
It doesn’t take much effort to ensure the institution you want to study at is properly accredited, and doing so will ensure you avoid the heartache of paying for and completing a program which won’t enable you to become certified or secure a job.
About Author: This was written by Jacqueline Martin who is a former Nurse Practitioner and who now writes about healthcare and education.
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Tags: allied health education programs, education accreditation, health education programs
