How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training School near New Portland Maine
Once you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near New Portland ME, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Most future students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You may want to look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short 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 Job of a Medical Assistant
The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is ensure that the New Portland ME clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential functions 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 tissue and fluid specimens
- Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
- Giving basic support during examinations and procedures
While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are qualified to under Maine law, some choose to specialize in a particular 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 Training
Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of New Portland ME health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about one year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available 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 general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Medical Assistant Online Classes
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good alternative for individuals who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened as well. But keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be carried out in New Portland ME area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the right option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for individuals who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential New Portland ME medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and perhaps 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 examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.
Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Programs
Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to choose 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 start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of potential students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to New Portland ME with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to examine when assessing schools. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the program you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential New Portland ME employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make sure that the schools you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with New Portland ME area medical providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the New Portland health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Getting that initial job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the New Portland ME area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical 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 might be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a program to observe 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 program while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the school you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near New Portland ME, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will still have to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near New Portland Maine?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the New Portland ME area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Portland, Maine
Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a population of 67,067 as of 2017.[5] The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine's total population, making it the most populous metro in northern New England (an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont). Portland's economy is heavily dependent on tourism and the Old Port district is a popular destination. The Port of Portland is the largest tonnage seaport in New England. The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, which is a reference to the recoveries from four devastating fires.[6] Portland was named after the English Isle of Portland, Dorset. The city of Portland, Oregon was named after Portland, Maine.[7]
Native Americans originally called the Portland peninsula Machigonne ("Great Neck").[8] Portland was named for the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon, was in turn named for Portland, Maine.[9] The first European settler was Capt. Christopher Levett, an English naval captain granted 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) in 1623 to found a settlement in Casco Bay. A member of the Council for New England and agent for Ferdinando Gorges, Levett built a stone house where he left a company of ten men, then returned to England to write a book about his voyage to bolster support for the settlement.[10]Ultimately, the settlement was a failure and the fate of Levett's colonists is unknown. The explorer sailed from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to meet John Winthrop in 1630, but never returned to Maine. Fort Levett in the harbor is named for him.
The peninsula was first permanently settled in 1632 as a fishing and trading village named Casco.[8] When the Massachusetts Bay Colony took over Casco Bay in 1658, the town's name changed again to Falmouth. In 1676, the village was destroyed by the Abenaki during King Philip's War. It was rebuilt. During King William's War, a raiding party of French and Native allies attacked and largely destroyed it again in the Battle of Fort Loyal (1690).
Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant School New Portland ME
It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision 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 a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training Online. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus 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 subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in New Portland ME.
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