How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Frankfort Kansas
Now that you have made a decision to join the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Frankfort KS, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean 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 factors also. You may decide to take a look at a few 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 important qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have provided several questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.
The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants
The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Frankfort KS clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work run efficiently. Depending 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 responsible for giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
- Providing general support during exams and procedures
Although medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Kansas law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Medical Assistant Programs
In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Frankfort 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 essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as technical 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 courses. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare 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
There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good choice for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened as well. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Frankfort KS area healthcare 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 ideal option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing a job after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Many potential Frankfort KS medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained 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 exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.
Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Frankfort KS with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must examine when assessing schools. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to make sure that the program you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Frankfort KS employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, 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 ones that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Frankfort KS area medical providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Frankfort medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Help Provided? Landing that very first job may be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Frankfort KS area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the school you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Frankfort KS, 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 also need to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Frankfort Kansas?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Frankfort KS area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Frankfort, Kansas
Frankfort is a city in Marshall County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 726.[6] The town is famous for the 32 men it lost during World War II, more per capita than any other community in the USA.[7]
Frankfort was laid out in 1867 when the Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad was built through the area.[8] The nearby post office of Nottingham, established in 1857, moved roughly a half-mile northwest to meet the railroad. It was named for Frank Schmidt, a member of the town company.[9] Frankfort was incorporated as a city of the third class in 1875.[10]
Frankfort is located at 39°42′14″N 96°25′5″W / 39.70389°N 96.41806°W / 39.70389; -96.41806 (39.703810, -96.417925).[11] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.02 square miles (2.64 km2), of which, 1.01 square miles (2.62 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[1]
Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Course Frankfort KS
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Degree Online. But irrespective 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 so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Frankfort KS.
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