How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Hays Kansas
Once you have decided to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Hays KS, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Most potential students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable 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 several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have provided several questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.
The Role of Medical Assistants
The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their function is ensure that the Hays KS hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
- Setting and confirming appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Giving general support during exams and procedures
While medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Kansas law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the choices 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 Courses
Unlike most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Hays KS health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two options available for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about a year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created 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 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. 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 applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Online Medical Assistant Classes
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good alternative for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened as well. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Hays KS area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the right option for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for those who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining a position after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Hays KS medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 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.
Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Hays KS with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to examine when assessing schools. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several great reasons to verify that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive 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 one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Hays KS employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs 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 enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, verify that the colleges you are looking at offer the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Hays KS area medical providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Hays medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Help Provided? Landing that very first job can be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Hays KS area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent 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 Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before enrolling in a college to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the school you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Hays KS, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also need to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Hays Kansas?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Hays KS area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Hays, Kansas
Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States.[5] The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region.[6][7] It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University.[8] As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,510.[9]
Prior to American settlement of the area, the site of Hays was located near where the territories of the Arapaho, Kiowa, and Pawnee met.[10] Claimed first by France as part of Louisiana and later acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it lay within the area organized by the U.S. as Kansas Territory in 1854.[11][12] Kansas became a state in 1861, and the state government delineated the surrounding area as Ellis County in 1867.[11][13]
In 1865, the U.S. Army established Fort Fletcher southeast of present-day Hays to protect stagecoaches traveling the Smoky Hill Trail. A year later, the Army renamed the post Fort Hays in honor of the late Brig. Gen. Alexander Hays.[14] In late 1866, anticipating the construction of the Kansas Pacific Railway as far west as Fort Hays, a party from St. Louis, Missouri led by William Webb selected three sections of land for colonization near the fort.[15] In June 1867, to better serve the railroad, the Army relocated Fort Hays 15 miles northwest to a site near where the railroad was to cross Big Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill River. Seeing a business opportunity, Buffalo Bill Cody and railroad contractor William Rose founded the settlement of Rome, Kansas near the fort's new location. Within a month, the population of Rome grew to over 2,000. Webb, meanwhile, established the Big Creek Land Company and then surveyed and platted a town site, which he named Hays City after the fort, roughly one mile east of Rome. The railroad reached Hays City soon thereafter and constructed a depot there. The railroad's arrival, combined with a cholera epidemic that hit Rome in the late summer of 1867, drove Rome businesses and residents to relocate to Hays City. Within a year, Rome was completely abandoned.[16][17] As the western terminus of the railway, Hays City grew rapidly, serving as the supply point for territories to the west and southwest.[15][18]
Pick the Best Medical Assistant School Hays KS
It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Training. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Hays KS.
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