How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Blairsville Georgia
Once you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Blairsville GA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? Many potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You may choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have provided some questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.
The Duties of a Medical Assistant
The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Blairsville GA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and filing claims
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
- Providing general support during examinations and procedures
Although medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Georgia law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options 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 Training
Unlike most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Blairsville GA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two options available for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about one year to finish, 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 option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Medical Assistant Online Courses
There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good option for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Blairsville GA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the right option for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing a position after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Blairsville GA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.
Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Blairsville GA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to verify that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Blairsville GA 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 schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to find out which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the program’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 college’s program. Of course schools with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.
Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make sure that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Blairsville GA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Blairsville medical community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Help Provided? Getting that very first job can be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Blairsville GA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.
How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Accessible? 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 choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Blairsville GA, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol 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 Blairsville Georgia?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Blairsville GA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Blairsville, Georgia
Although the neighboring city of Dahlonega was known as the first site of gold in the United States, the Blairsville area was known to have the purest gold in the mountains. Assayers in Washington, D.C. could tell by looking that gold ore was from the Coosa Mines because it was “the yellowest gold” submitted and its brilliant color set it apart.[11]
Blairsville has a humid subtropical climate, yet due to its elevation of 1,883 feet (574 m), typically records far lower temperatures at night than what is encountered in much of the Southeastern U.S., and has slightly higher precipitation totals (56 inches or 1,420 millimetres annually) than most locations in the state; the average diurnal temperature variation exceeds 25 °F (14 °C) in each of the spring and autumn months. Snow usually occurs several times every year. The average annual snowfall is 4 inches.[12] The monthly daily mean temperature ranges from 36.8 °F (2.7 °C) in January to 73.3 °F (22.9 °C) in July. There are 7.6 days of 90 °F (32 °C) highs and 4.6 days where the high fails to rise above freezing annually.
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 652 people residing in the city. The population density was 529 people per square mile (240.0/km2).[15] The racial makeup of the city was: White alone - 577 (88.5%), African American - 30 (4.6%), Hispanic - 30 (4.6%), Two or more other races - 10 (1.5%), American Indian alone - 4 (0.6%), Asian - 1 (0.2%).[16]
Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Blairsville GA
It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Vocational Schools. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Blairsville GA.
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