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How Long Is Medical Assistant Training Morro Bay CA

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training School near Morro Bay California

Morro Bay CA medical assistant checking pulseNow that you have decided to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Morro Bay CA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? A number of prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues also. You might choose to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Morro Bay CA nursing home patientThe duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the Morro Bay CA clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers 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 practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

  • Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
  • Scheduling and confirming appointments
  • Taking vital signs and weighing patients
  • Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
  • Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under California law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and earn 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 Courses

In contrast to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Morro Bay 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 basically 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at junior and community colleges as well as technical 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 frequently have a clinical element involving an internship with a local medical 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 similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Morro Bay CAThere are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good alternative for individuals who might 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 working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened also. But remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be completed in Morro Bay CA 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 education might be the right option for you. With the online classes 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, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing a position after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Morro Bay CA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and arguably 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 examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Morro Bay CA medical assistant programsBefore you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Morro Bay CA 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 examine when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the school you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Morro Bay CA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Morro Bay CA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Morro Bay medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Landing that initial job can be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Morro Bay CA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher 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 contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s essential that the school you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Morro Bay CA, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Morro Bay California?

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

Morro Bay, California

Morro Bay is a waterfront city in San Luis Obispo County, California located along California State Route 1 on California's Central Coast. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,234, down from 10,350 at the 2000 census.

The prehistory of Morro Bay relates to Chumash settlement, particularly near the mouth of Morro Creek. At least as early as the Millingstone Horizon thousands of years before present, there was an extensive settlement along the banks and terraces above Morro Creek.[7]

The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portola expedition, came down Los Osos Valley and camped near today's Morro Bay on September 8, 1769. Franciscan missionary and expedition member Juan Crespi noted in his diary that "we saw a great rock in the form of a round morro".[8]

Select the Right Medical Assistant College Morro Bay CA

Morro Bay CA medical assistant studentIt’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the appropriate info 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 upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long Is Medical Assistant Training. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend 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 in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can ultimately start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Morro Bay CA.

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