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How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Silver Grove Kentucky

Silver Grove KY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Silver Grove KY, it’s time to select a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Most potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You might decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short 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 available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Silver Grove KY nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their function is ensure that the Silver Grove KY hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Kentucky law, some elect to specialize in a particular 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 mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Silver Grove KY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two choices provided for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about a year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical element 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.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Silver Grove KY There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent choice for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced as well. But keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Silver Grove KY area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training may 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 provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting a job after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Silver Grove KY medical employers just will not hire 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). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, 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 provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Silver Grove KY medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating 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. Once 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 prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Silver Grove KY with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many good reasons to make sure that the school you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). 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 mentioned previously, many prospective Silver Grove KY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Second, 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 school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about two years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Silver Grove KY area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Silver Grove healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Getting that very first job may be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Silver Grove KY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the school you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Silver Grove KY, 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 all internships or practical training that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Silver Grove Kentucky?

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

Silver Grove, Kentucky

Silver Grove is a railroad town founded in 1911 for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. In 1914, a newspaper described it as a modern town, because it boasted electric lights, an urban water and sewer system, a modernized fire department, a school, and a spacious park. In 1948, C&O wanted out of the city. In 1951, Gerald Losey was selected as the first mayor.[6]

Silver Grove is located in northeastern Campbell County at 39°2′13″N 84°23′55″W / 39.03694°N 84.39861°W / 39.03694; -84.39861 (39.036902, −84.398652), on the south bank of the Ohio River.[7]Kentucky Route 8 passes through the city, leading northwest (downstream) along the river 8 miles (13 km) to Dayton and southeast 32 miles (51 km) to Augusta. Downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, is 10 miles (16 km) to the northwest via Interstate 471.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Silver Grove has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.3 km2), of which 1.1 square miles (2.9 km2) is land and 0.54 square miles (1.4 km2), or 31.61%, is water.[8]

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant School Silver Grove KY

Silver Grove KY medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will provide 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 life long career, you need to obtain the right information on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Evening Classes. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Silver Grove KY.