How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Emporia Kansas
Now that you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Emporia KS, it’s time to select a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You may decide to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have provided some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.
The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant
The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their role is to make sure that the Emporia KS clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
- Providing basic support during examinations and procedures
Although medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Kansas law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the options 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
Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Emporia KS health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about a year to finish, some as little as six to nine 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 typically two year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Medical Assistant Online Colleges
There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good choice for those who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened also. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be performed in Emporia KS area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your education might be the right choice for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Emporia KS medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Emporia KS with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should examine when assessing schools. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the program you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must 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 agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Emporia KS employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Emporia KS area medical care providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Emporia medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Help Provided? Landing that first job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Emporia KS area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller 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 practical, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Emporia KS, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will also need to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Emporia Kansas?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Emporia KS area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Emporia, Kansas
Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States.[1][7] As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,916.[8] Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 and 35 on the Kansas Turnpike. Emporia is also a college town, home to Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College.
After the American Civil War, it became an important railroad hub; the first railroad reaching Emporia in 1869.[10] In 1888, railroad executive and educator John Byers Anderson donated his personal library to the College of Emporia to commemorate his 50th wedding anniversary, and his former mentee Andrew Carnegie donated additional funds to build a library in Anderson's honor (conditioned upon the new college paying off its mortgage).[11]
Emporia is particularly known for its newspaper, the Emporia Gazette, published in the first half of the 20th century by the legendary newspaperman William Allen White. The paper became the widely perceived model of excellence in small-town journalism.
Pick the Right Medical Assistant School Emporia KS
It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Education Requirements. But regardless of the kind 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 fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Emporia KS.
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