Medical Assistant Degree Programs Gaithersburg MD - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training Program near Gaithersburg Maryland

Gaithersburg MD medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Gaithersburg MD, it’s time to select a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Most prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You may choose to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Gaithersburg MD nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their role is ensure that the Gaithersburg MD hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Maryland law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Programs

In contrast to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Gaithersburg MD health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Gaithersburg MD There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced also. Just keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Gaithersburg MD area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education might be the right choice for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Gaithersburg MD medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Gaithersburg MD medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Gaithersburg MD with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must look at when researching schools. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to verify that the college you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Gaithersburg MD employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Gaithersburg MD area healthcare providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students develop relationships within the Gaithersburg healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Landing that initial job may be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Gaithersburg MD area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a school to observe what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the college you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Gaithersburg MD, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Gaithersburg Maryland?

If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Gaithersburg MD area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Gaithersburg (pronunciation (help·info)), officially the City of Gaithersburg, is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland. At the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, Gaithersburg had a population of 59,933, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville.[6] Gaithersburg is located to the northwest of Washington, D.C., and is considered a suburb and a primary city within the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Gaithersburg was incorporated as a town in 1878 and as a city in 1968.

Gaithersburg is divided into east and west sections, separated by Interstate 270. The eastern section of the city is older and is the original portion of the town before more recent growth. Landmarks and buildings from that time can still be seen in many places but especially in the historic central business district of Gaithersburg called "Olde Towne". The east side also includes Lakeforest Mall, City Hall, and the Montgomery County Fair grounds, and Bohrer Park (a well-known joint community recreation center and outdoor water park for kids and families). The west side of the city has many wealthier neighborhoods that were designed with smart growth techniques and embrace New Urbanism. These include the award-winning Kentlands community, the Lakelands community, and the Washingtonian Center (better known as The Rio), a popular shopping/business district. Consumers often come to this area during Black Friday and other shopping holidays for the deals and variety of huge brand name stores like Target and Dick's Sporting Goods, and smaller stores like Francesca's and Blue Mercury. Two New Urbanism communities are under construction, including Watkins Mill Town Center (Casey East and West), and the massive "Science City". The state has a bus rapid transit line, Corridor Cities Transitway or "CCT", planned for the western portion of the city starting at Shady Grove Metro Station and connecting all the high density western Gaithersburg neighborhoods with a total of eight stops planned in the city.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is headquartered in Gaithersburg directly west of I-270.[N 1] Other major employers in the city include IBM, Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Services business area headquarters, MedImmune (a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca), and the French multinational corporation, Sodexo. Gaithersburg is also the location of the garrison of the U.S. Army Reserve's 220th Military Police Brigade.

Select the Right Medical Assistant School Gaithersburg MD

Gaithersburg MD medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Degree Programs. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Gaithersburg MD.