Because hands - on, psychomotor competencies can not be
measured conclusively by a paper - and - pencil or computer - based test, the mandatory education requirement — which must include a practicum
of 160 hours or more — distinguishes the CMA (AAMA) from all other medical assisting credentials, and provides employers, patients, malpractice insurance carriers, and
third - party accrediting bodies such as The Joint Commission and the National Committee for
Quality Assurance (NCQA) with tangible evidence that CMAs (AAMA) are not only knowledgeable about the multifaceted dimensions
of the profession, but also competent in the clinical and administrative duties that are required in ambulatory care delivery settings.
AAI, Adult Attachment Interview; AFFEX, System for Identifying Affect Expression by Holistic Judgement; AIM, Affect Intensity
Measure; AMBIANCE, Atypical Maternal Behaviour Instrument for Assessment and Classification; ASCT, Attachment Story Completion Task; BAI, Beck Anxiety Inventory; BDI, Beck Depression Inventory; BEST, Borderline Evaluation
of Severity over Time; BPD, borderline personality disorder; BPVS - II, British Picture Vocabulary Scale II; CASQ, Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire; CBCL, Child Behaviour Checklist; CDAS - R, Children's Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale - Revised; CDEQ, Children's Depressive Experiences Questionnaire; CDIB, Child Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines; CGAS, Child Global Assessment Schedule; CRSQ, Children's Response Style Questionnaire; CTQ, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; CTQ, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; DASS, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales; DERS, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; DIB - R, Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines; DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders; EA, Emotional Availability Scales; ECRS, Experiences in Close Relationships Scale; EMBU, Swedish acronym for Own Memories Concerning Upbringing; EPDS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; FES, Family Environment Scale; FSS, Family Satisfaction Scale; FTRI, Family Trauma and Resilience Interview; IBQ - R, Infant Behaviour Questionnaire, Revised; IPPA, Inventory
of Parent and Peer Attachment; K - SADS, Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School - Age Children; KSADS - E, Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia - Episodic Version; MMD, major depressive disorder; PACOTIS, Parental Cognitions and Conduct Toward the Infant Scale; PPQ, Perceived Parenting
Quality Questionnaire; PD, personality disorder; PPVT - III, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test,
Third Edition; PSI - SF, Parenting Stress Index Short Form; RSSC, Reassurance - Seeking Scale for Children; SCID - II, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM - IV; SCL -90-R, Symptom Checklist 90 Revised; SCQ, Social Communication Questionnaire; SEQ, Children's Self - Esteem Questionnaire; SIDP - IV, Structured Interview for DSM - IV Personality; SPPA, Self - Perception Profile for Adolescents; SSAGA, Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics
of Alcoholism; TCI, Temperament and Character Inventory; YCS, Youth Chronic Stress Interview; YSR, Youth Self - Report.