Medical Assistant Duties Ashford AL

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School near Ashford Alabama

Ashford AL medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have decided to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Ashford AL, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You may want to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have provided some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Ashford AL nursing home patientThe role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their duty is to make sure that the Ashford AL clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

  • Completing insurance forms and filing claims
  • Setting and verifying appointments
  • Weighing and taking patients vital signs
  • Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
  • Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Alabama law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the choices 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 Education

Compared to most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Ashford AL health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about one year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Ashford ALThere are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good option for individuals who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened also. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be completed in Ashford AL area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the best choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Ashford AL medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among 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 apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Ashford AL medical assistant programsBefore you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many potential students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Ashford AL with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should explore when researching schools. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many great reasons to confirm that the program you select is accredited. To begin with, 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 enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Ashford AL employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Ashford AL area medical care providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Ashford medical community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Landing that initial job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Ashford AL area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a program to experience 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 working full time, it’s important that the program you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Ashford AL, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Ashford Alabama?

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

Ashford, Alabama

Ashford is a town[4] in Houston County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was incorporated in June 1891.[5] For most of its history, it was a center for naval stores production, pulpwood harvesting, and cotton agriculture. The population was 2,148 at the 2010 census,[6] up from 1,853 at the 2000 census.

Ashford is located slightly northeast of the center of Houston County at 31°11′3″N 85°14′7″W / 31.18417°N 85.23528°W / 31.18417; -85.23528 (31.184032, -85.235286).[7]U.S. Route 84 passes through the southern part of the town, leading west 9 miles (14 km) to Dothan and southeast 24 miles (39 km) to Donalsonville, Georgia. The Chattahoochee River, which forms the Georgia state line, is 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Ashford on US 84.

Ashford's former mayor is Jonathon Grecu, he resigned from office on December 31, 2017. On January 8, 2018 Carole Barfield took office. As of October 2018, the current mayor is Carole Barfield, and City Council members are Gary Gibson, Ronnie Whitehead, Alan Anderson, James Smith, and Denise Herndon. The recreation director for the City of Ashford is Louis Edmondson. The City Clerk is currently open for employment.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant School Ashford AL

Ashford AL medical assistant studentIt’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, verify 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 exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Duties. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Ashford AL.

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