Medical Assistant Colleges Near Me Foley AL - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Foley Alabama

Foley AL medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Foley AL, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You might choose to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Foley AL nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their job is to make sure that the Foley AL hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Alabama law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options offered 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 many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Foley AL health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about a year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually 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 liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a practical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Foley AL There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good choice for students who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized also. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be completed in Foley AL area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the ideal choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. Many potential Foley AL medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. 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, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Foley AL medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the process 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 closest to Foley AL with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to look at when researching schools. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to ensure that the school you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Foley AL employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about two years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Foley AL area medical care providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Foley health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Finding that very first job may be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Foley AL area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Foley AL, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also have to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Foley Alabama?

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

Foley, Alabama

Foley is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. The 2010 census lists the population of the city as 14,618.[4] Foley is a principal city of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Baldwin County.

Foley was named for its founder, John B. Foley of Chicago.[5]As Foley was traveling to President McKinley's funeral in 1901, he met a railroad agent who told him of the area in South Baldwin County. Foley came down the following year, and he liked what he saw and bought up to between 40,000 acres (160 km2) and 50,000 acres (200 km2) of land. He then returned to Chicago and formed the Magnolia Land Company. As he began to sell off acreage, he realized the need for a better way for the people to come to Foley.[citation needed]

Foley used some of his own money to lay the rails so the train could come from Bay Minette. The first railroad station was built in 1905. The original station burned in 1908 and was replaced the following year by the station that is now the City's museum. John Foley donated parcels of land for a school and churches. These included the current Catholic Church, Saint Margaret of Scotland, the Baptist church and the Methodist church. The first train to service Foley was a wood burner called the "Pine Knot Special." It would leave Foley in the morning and make a return trip in the afternoon. As people cleared the land, they would place lighter knots in a wood box for the engineer to use as was needed. Foley was incorporated in 1915 with G. I. Weatherly serving as its first mayor.[citation needed]

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant College Foley AL

Foley AL medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Colleges Near Me. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan 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 provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Foley AL.