Tag Archives: Top Accredited Medical Assistant Programs Metairie LA 70001

Medical Assistant Study Metairie LA

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training School near Metairie Louisiana

Metairie LA medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Metairie LA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Most potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You might want to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Metairie LA nursing home patientThe job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their function is ensure that the Metairie LA clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work operate 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 responsible for giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

  • Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
  • Setting and confirming appointments
  • Taking vital signs and weighing patients
  • Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
  • Giving basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Louisiana law, some elect 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) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

In contrast to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Metairie LA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two 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 typically take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a practical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Metairie LAThere are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available 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 accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be completed in Metairie LA area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the right option 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 earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing a job after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Metairie LA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and arguably 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 examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Metairie LA medical assistant programsBefore you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Metairie LA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to look at when assessing schools. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many great reasons to make sure that the college you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Metairie LA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Metairie LA area health care providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Metairie healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Getting that first job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Metairie LA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a college to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the program you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Metairie LA, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Metairie Louisiana?

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

Metairie, Louisiana

Metairie (/ˈmɛtəri/ MET-ər-ee; French: Métairie [metɛʁi]) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and is part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. With a population at the 2010 census of 138,481,[1] Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish and the fifth-largest CDP in the United States.[2] It is an unincorporated area that would be Louisiana's fourth-largest city if it were incorporated.[3][4] The zip codes that serve the community are 70001–70006.

Métairie is the French term for a small tenant farm which paid the landlord with a share of the produce, also known as sharecropping. In the 1760s, many of the original French farmers were tenants; after the Civil War, the majority of the community's inhabitants were sharecroppers until urbanization started in the 1910s.

In the 1720s French settlers became the first Europeans to settle Metairie in the area known then as Tchoupitoulas and now as Metairie Ridge, a natural levee formed by an ancient branch of the Mississippi River which flowed through modern-day River Ridge, Metairie, Gentilly, and New Orleans East. It emptied into Mississippi Sound. The Acolapissa Native Americans used this ridge as a road, and it is the oldest road in the New Orleans area. Paved in the 1920s, it is called Metairie Road. An electric streetcar was installed running along Metairie Road in the late 1910s, opening the area to greater development. Upscale housing tracts were constructed off the road in the 1920s; this area is now known as "Old Metairie". It is today the most prestigious area of Metairie. The areas to the north and northwest of Metairie Road were not developed until after World War II. The land between Metairie Ridge and Lake Pontchartrain, which was cypress swamps and marshlands, was drained with the Wood Pump. With development of this new land for residences, Metairie's population grew in the 1940s as a result of cheaper land, lower taxes, and larger lots than in Orleans Parish.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Course Metairie LA

Metairie LA medical assistant studentIt’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools 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 select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Study. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Metairie LA.

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