California Certifying Board for Medical Assistants (CCBMA) Practice Test

The term that describes a position situated near the surface of the body is "superficial." In anatomical terminology, superficial refers to structures that are located closer to the outer surface of the body, as opposed to deeper structures that are further away from the surface. This term is commonly used in medical contexts to help differentiate between layers of tissue, for instance, distinguishing the epidermis, a superficial layer of skin, from deeper layers such as subcutaneous tissue or muscle.

In contrast, terms like dorsal and ventral relate to the positions on the body in terms of orientation; dorsal refers to the back side of the body, while ventral indicates the front side. Medial, on the other hand, designates a position closer to the midline of the body, not necessarily related to being near the surface. Therefore, "superficial" is the correct term for describing a position that is closer to the exterior of the body.