American Allied Health (AAH) certifications offer a flexible, skill-building approach to healthcare training, with many certifications providing stackable and portable credentials.
Each certification focuses on essential, job-ready competencies that align with the real-world clinical roles, allowing learners to earn industry-recognized credentials as they advance their knowledge and experience. These certifications are not isolated; many are designed to interconnect, supporting clear career pathways.
For example, a student may choose to begin with a Phlebotomy Technician certification, optionally build on that foundation with EKG Technician training, and later pursue a comprehensive Medical Assistant program in preparation for becoming a certified medical assistant. This flexible progression allows learners to gain early access to employment, demonstrate growing expertise, and pursue upward mobility without needing to start over with each new role. Having this foundational knowledge and experience sets learners up for success in the next steps of their learning and career journey.
The Connection Between Certifications: Phlebotomy, EKG, and Medical Assistant
Although starting with the Phlebotomy Technician certification is the most common, some people will start with the EKG technician certification instead. In the Phlebotomy Technician certification, learners master medical terminology, patient identification, infection control, and blood collection techniques. These core clinical skills translate directly into the EKG Technician role, where precision, patient care, and familiarity with clinical tools are further developed and specialized to the EKG tech role. Both of these fields represent many of the competencies for Medical Assistant certification, which integrates broader knowledge across anatomy, disease, pharmacology, and administrative responsibilities.
If you’re trained in phlebotomy, adding certification in EKG can further expand your clinical skills and complement your preparation for AAH’s RMA certification and the medical assisting role. This pathway reflects the stackable and portable credentials from AAH’s certifications and supports clear career advancement within allied health. Similarly, those already holding the RMA credential often possess much of the preparation needed to pursue Phlebotomy or EKG certifications, enhancing their employability through multi-skilled credentials and opening up pathways for career selection.
Your Training, Our Certification - Empowering Healthcare Professionals for a Stronger Tomorrow.
A Graphical Comparison of Certification Exam Competencies
| Competency Area | Phlebotomy Technician | EKG Technician | Medical Assistant |
| Medical Terminology | ✅ (common and circulatory) | ✅ (common, EKG tech, and cardiac) | ✅ (Comprehensive) |
| Anatomy & Physiology | ✅ (Circulatory System) | ✅ (Cardiac-focused) | ✅ (Comprehensive) |
| Law, Ethics, and Professionalism | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Safety Procedures | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Patient Identification, Communication, Instruction | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Disease Knowledge | ✅ (phlebotomy-specific) | ✅ (Cardiovascular) | ✅ (Comprehensive) |
| Specimen Collection / Processing | ✅ (Core of the role) | ❌ | ✅ (As part of diagnostics) |
| Medical Math, Units of Measure | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ (basic) |
| EKG Technology, Procedures, Evaluation, Troubleshooting | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ (Obtaining EKG) |
| Clinical Practices/Diagnostic Support | ❌ | ✅ (EKG Operations) | ✅ (Lab, EKG, Clinical) |
| Basic Pharmacology | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Administrative Medical Assisting | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
AAH Certifications Lead to Stackable Credentials
AAH’s Phlebotomy Technician Certification (CPT), EKG Technician Certification (CET), and Medical Assistant Certification (RMA) all share a foundational emphasis on medical ethics, patient interaction, and safety procedures. Each certification evaluates for a strong sense of professionalism, infection control, and compliance with healthcare regulations, ensuring that students have the foundation to safely interact with patients and navigate clinical environments.
While the specific clinical procedures differ, every certification requires a baseline understanding of medical terminology and basic anatomical concepts, tailored to their respective scopes of practice. This shared core prepares learners to communicate effectively with healthcare teams, adhere to protocols, and participate in direct patient care with competence and confidence.
Unique Certification Features
Each one of these certifications also has unique features.
Phlebotomy Technician certification: Uniquely focused on venipuncture, blood specimen handling, and lab preparation, with deep specialization in collection procedures and managing complications during blood draws.
EKG Technician certification: Centered on cardiac monitoring, including the operation, interpretation, and troubleshooting of EKG equipment—an area not deeply covered by the others.
Medical Assistant certification: Has a broad scope, integrating both clinical and administrative responsibilities, such as scheduling, insurance processing, patient education, pharmacology, and support across multiple diagnostic procedures.
Phlebotomy Technician as a Foundational Certification
Beginning with certification as a Phlebotomy Technician provides a strong clinical foundation rooted in patient interaction, medical terminology, infection control, and procedural precision. These skills naturally align with and support the transition into EKG Technician certification, where comfort in clinical settings and patient communication and care translates well into the area of cardiac diagnostics. With both phlebotomy and EKG credentials, learners gain dual-specialized experience that directly complements the broader Medical Assistant role, which integrates both skills while adding administrative, pharmacological, and diagnostic knowledge.
AAH Online Exam Benefits
American Allied Health (AAH) offers a convenient and affordable path to earning your certification on your schedule, making it easier to fit into your busy life. Below are several benefits of certifying through AAH:
- Affordable: AAH provides cost-effective, affordable certification, making getting certified accessible and starting or advancing your healthcare career easier. Enjoy free study materials, a free retake exam, and renewal fees that are 50% lower than industry standards.
- Streamlined Process: Register, submit documents, and receive your certification card in as little as one business day.
- Comprehensive Preparation: AAH provides extensive topical study guides and practice tests to ensure readiness. When you register for your online exam, you gain access to these free study materials and practice exams to help you prepare for your exam so you can certify with confidence. With several certifications, you also have the option to purchase a Premium Study Guide for a small fee as a refresher if you need it!
- 100% Online Testing: AAH's fully online program is designed for flexibility and ease. Study from anywhere, on your schedule. Convenient online exams that allow you to earn your certification onsite at your school, at your employer’s office, or from home, on your schedule. This allows you to certify when it's most convenient and not lose time from work or personal commitments. Earn the same credentials from the comfort of your own computer.
- Mobile & Tablet Friendly: Study anytime, anywhere, and take the exam whenever you're ready.
- Nationally Recognized Credentials: Join over 50,000 certified professionals working in every U.S. state and more than 30 countries worldwide.
- Instant results: Immediate proof of certification for employers.
- One Free Retake: If you don't pass the exam on your first attempt, don't worry. AAH offers one free retake to ensure you have the opportunity to earn your certification.
- Continuing Education: AAH offers online CE courses, so you can earn your CE credits on your schedule and be ready to go when it comes time to renew. In your account, you can access all the Continuing Education (CE) credits you need to maintain your certification with AAH.
- Easy Renewal: AAH makes renewing your certification easy. Complete your continuing education, pay the renewal fee, and submit it within your AAH account to finalize the process.