How Long Are Medical Assistant Programs New River AZ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Program near New River Arizona

New River AZ medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near New River AZ, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? Many future students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You may want to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have included some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with New River AZ nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their role is to make sure that the New River AZ clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work run efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Arizona law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of New River AZ health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics 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 junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in New River AZ There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good choice for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened as well. But remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be performed in New River AZ area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the right option for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential New River AZ medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask New River AZ medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to New River AZ with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should look at when evaluating programs. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to ensure that the program you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential New River AZ employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with New River AZ area medical providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the New River healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Landing that first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the New River AZ area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high 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 contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the program you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near New River AZ, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near New River Arizona?

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

New River, Arizona

New River is named after the seasonal wash of the same name, part of the Agua Fria River system which drains into the Salt River. It was founded by Lord Darrell Duppa in 1868 as a stagecoach stop. For many years it was the terminus of the old Black Canyon Highway (now Interstate 17). The pavement ended in New River and continued as a dirt road to the city of Prescott.[4]

New River is located at 33°52′9″N 112°5′9″W / 33.86917°N 112.08583°W / 33.86917; -112.08583 (33.869149, −112.085759).[5] It is bordered by the Tonto National Forest to the north, Cave Creek to the east, Phoenix to the south, and Anthem to the west. The CDP includes the area known as Desert Hills.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 70.8 square miles (183 km2), of which, 70.8 square miles (183 km2) of it is land and 0.01% is water. It includes both Daisy Mountain and Gavilan Peak.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Course New River AZ

New River AZ medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, 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 How Long Are Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective of the kind 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 provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in New River AZ.