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How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training School near Travis Afb California

Travis Afb CA 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 Travis Afb CA, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Most future students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors also. You might choose to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have included several questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Travis Afb CA nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Travis Afb CA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under California law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Courses

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Travis Afb CA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Travis Afb CA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent option for individuals who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Travis Afb CA area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your training may be the ideal choice for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing a position after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Travis Afb CA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Travis Afb CA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide 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 begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Travis Afb CA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you should examine when assessing schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several great reasons to confirm that the program you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 exam. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Travis Afb CA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Travis Afb CA area medical providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the Travis Afb healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Landing that first job may be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Travis Afb CA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before selecting a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, 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 Travis Afb CA, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also have to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Travis Afb California?

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

Travis Air Force Base

Travis Air Force Base (IATA: SUU, ICAO: KSUU, FAA LID: SUU) is a United States Air Force air base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of Fairfield, in Solano County, California, United States.[2]

Situated in the San Francisco Bay Area and known as the "Gateway to the Pacific", Travis Air Force Base handles more cargo and passenger traffic through its airport than any other military air terminal in the United States. The base has a long and proud history of supporting humanitarian airlift operations at home and around the world. Today, Travis AFB includes approximately 7,260 active USAF military personnel, 4,250 Air Force Reserve personnel and 3,770 civilians.[3]

Travis AFB has a major impact on the community as a number of military families and retirees have chosen to make Fairfield their permanent home. Travis AFB is the largest employer in the City and Solano County as well, and the massive Travis workforce has a local economic impact of more than $1 billion annually. The Base also contributes a large number of highly skilled people to the local labor pool.[3]

Choose the Right Medical Assistant College Travis Afb CA

Travis Afb CA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re planning to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Description. 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 in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Travis Afb CA.