How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Program near Franklin Kansas
Now that you have decided to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Franklin KS, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Most prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You might decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.
The Function of a Medical Assistant
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their role is to make sure that the Franklin KS clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work run 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 tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and filing claims
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
- Supplying general support during examinations and procedures
While medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Kansas law, some prefer 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Medical Assistant Programs
Unlike most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Franklin KS health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a practical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Medical Assistant Online Schools
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be minimized as well. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Franklin KS area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the right 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 previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Franklin KS medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. 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 take the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs
Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Franklin KS with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to look at when researching schools. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to verify that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education 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 acknowledged organizations 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 either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Franklin KS employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, find out what the program’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. Obviously programs with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.
Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Franklin KS area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the Franklin healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Finding that 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 Franklin KS area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a program to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Franklin KS, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Franklin Kansas?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Franklin KS area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Franklin, Kansas
Franklin is an unincorporated community (and census-designated place) in Crawford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 375.[2] Franklin is located along U.S. Route 69 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Arma, or 5.9 miles (9.5 km) north of Frontenac. Franklin has a post office with ZIP code 66735.[3]
Franklin began as a mining community in the early 1900s. It is located just off Highway 69 Bypass which is a major corridor between Kansas City and Pittsburg, Ks./Joplin, Mo. Franklin was a shipping point on the Joplin & Pittsburg electric railroad.[4] The first post office in Franklin was established in 1908.[5]
On May 4, 2003, a high-end F4 tornado ripped through Franklin, the path reached over 0.5 miles (0.80 km) wide at points. Franklin was all but destroyed, the U.S. Post Office, community center, and approximately 1/3 of family homes were destroyed. Four deaths and approximately 20 injuries were reported.[6][7][8]
Select the Right Medical Assistant Course Franklin KS
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in What Is A Certified Medical Assistant. But regardless 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 provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Franklin KS.
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