Certified Medical Assistant Certification Davenport IA

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Davenport Iowa

Davenport IA medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have made a decision to enter the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Davenport IA, 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 subsequently pick the ideal one? Many prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You might decide to research some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Davenport IA nursing home patientThe role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the Davenport IA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work operate efficiently. Based on the type or size 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 professionals but can also be found working 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
  • Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
  • Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
  • Providing general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Iowa law, some opt to specialize in a particular 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 Training

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Davenport IA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about 1 year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Davenport IAThere are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are a good option for students who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be minimized as well. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Davenport IA area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your training may be the best option for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing a position after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Davenport IA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative 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 Schools

Questions to ask Davenport IA medical assistant programsPrior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Davenport IA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you must explore when evaluating schools. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to make sure that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive 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 qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Davenport IA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to choose a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining 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 1 year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about two years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Davenport IA area medical providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Davenport health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Provided? Landing that very first job may be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Davenport IA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Davenport IA, make sure that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Davenport Iowa?

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

Davenport, Iowa

Davenport is the county seat of Scott County in Iowa and is located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. It is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population estimate of 382,630 and a CSA population of 474,226; it is the 90th largest CSA in the nation.[6][7] Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine Le Claire and was named for his friend George Davenport, a former English sailor who served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, served as a supplier Fort Armstrong, worked as a fur trader with the American Fur Company, and was appointed a quartermaster with the rank of colonel during the Black Hawk War. According to the 2010 census, the city had a population of 99,685 (making it Iowa's third-largest city). The city appealed this figure, arguing that the Census Bureau missed a section of residents, and that its total population was more than 100,000.[8][9] The Census Bureau estimated Davenport's 2011 population to be 100,802.[10]

Located approximately halfway between Chicago and Des Moines, Davenport is on the border of Iowa across the river from Illinois. The city is prone to frequent flooding due to its location on the Mississippi River. There are two main universities: St. Ambrose University and Palmer College of Chiropractic, where the first chiropractic adjustment took place. Several annual music festivals take place in Davenport, including the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, the Mississippi Valley Fair, and the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival. An internationally known 7-mile (11 km) foot race, called the Bix 7, is run during the festival. The city has a Class A minor-league baseball team, the Quad Cities River Bandits. Davenport has 50 plus parks and facilities, as well as more than 20 miles (32 km) of recreational paths for biking or walking.

Three interstates, 80, 74 and 280, and two major United States Highways serve the city. Davenport has seen steady population growth since its incorporation. National economic difficulties in the 1980s, resulted in job and population losses. The Quad Cities was ranked as the most affordable metropolitan area in 2010 by Forbes magazine. In 2007, Davenport, along with neighboring Rock Island, won the City Livability Award in the small-city category from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In 2012, Davenport, and the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, was ranked among the fastest-growing areas in the nation in the growth of high-tech jobs.[11] Notable natives of the city have included jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Susan Glaspell, former National Football League running back Roger Craig, and former two time WWE Champion and WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins.

Choose the Right Medical Assistant Program Davenport IA

Davenport IA medical assistant studentIt’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example 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 Certified Medical Assistant Certification. But irrespective of the type 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 choosing the right program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Davenport IA.

More Medical Locations in Iowa

  • Medical Assistant Training Preston IA
  • Medical Assistant Schools Blairsburg IA
  • How Long Are Medical Assistant Courses Denver IA
  • Medical Assistant Vocational Schools Agency IA
  • Medical Assistant Education Requirements Conrad IA
  • Medical Assistant Schools With Financial Aid Palo IA
  • Medical Assistant School Requirements Woolstock IA
  • Medical Assistant Info Wilton IA
  • Fast Medical Assistant Programs Epworth IA
  • Medical Assistant Trade School Urbandale IA
  •  

     

    The location could not be found.

     

    Business Results 1 - 10 of 6

    Waterford Family Medicine
    3 Reviews
    Family Practice
    Phone:
    1820 E 54th St, Ste B, Davenport, IA 52807

    Great River Medical
    1 Reviews
    Doctors
    Phone:
    4626 Progress Dr, Ste C, Davenport, IA 52807

    Hamilton Technical College
    1 Reviews
    Colleges & Universities
    Phone:
    1011 E 53rd St, Davenport, IA 52807

    Caring Hands - Moline
    2 Reviews
    Home Health Care, Personal Care Services, Skilled Nursing
    Phone:
    2001 52nd Ave, Ste 4, Moline, IL 61265

    Genesis Family Medical Center
    1 Reviews
    Family Practice
    Phone:
    1345 W Central Park Ave, Davenport, IA 52804

    New Perspective Senior Living Silvis
    1 Reviews
    Assisted Living Facilities, Retirement Homes
    Phone:
    1900 10th St, Silvis, IL 61282