Medical Assistant Training Goodyear AZ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Goodyear Arizona

Goodyear AZ medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Goodyear AZ, it’s time to select a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues also. You may want to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have provided several questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Goodyear AZ nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their job is ensure that the Goodyear AZ hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing 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
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any task they are authorized to under Arizona law, some prefer to specialize in a specific 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 many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Goodyear AZ health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two choices provided for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about a year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs available at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often 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 Goodyear AZ There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced as well. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be performed in Goodyear AZ area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the right option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for individuals who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Goodyear AZ medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Goodyear AZ medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you must choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Goodyear AZ with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must examine when evaluating 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 ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make sure that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction 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 accepted 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 either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Goodyear AZ employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about two years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Goodyear AZ area health care providers. They are a great method to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Goodyear medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Landing that initial job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Goodyear AZ area and find out 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 signifies that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a school to witness what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the school you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Goodyear AZ, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule all internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Goodyear Arizona?

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

Goodyear, Arizona

Goodyear (O'odham: Valin Thak) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is a suburb of Phoenix and at the 2010 census had a population of 65,275,[2] the third fastest-growing city in Arizona between 1990 and 2000. The 2017 population estimate was 79,858.[4]

In 2008, Goodyear won the All-America City Award, sponsored by the National Civic League. The city is named after the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The company cultivated extensive farmland here to grow cotton for use in their tires.

Goodyear was established in 1917 with the purchase of 16,000 acres (65 km2) of land by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company to cultivate cotton for vehicle tire cords. World War II was important to Goodyear in the 1940s as the current Phoenix Goodyear Airport was built, but after the war, the economy suffered. Goodyear became a town on November 19, 1946.[5] At the time, it had 151 homes and 250 apartments, a grocery store, a barber shop, beauty shop and a gas station.

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Goodyear AZ

Goodyear AZ medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re objective 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 acquire the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training. But irrespective of the kind 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 in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Goodyear AZ.