Medical Assistant Programs Near Me Erlanger KY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School near Erlanger Kentucky

Erlanger KY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Erlanger KY, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? A number of future students start 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 very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You may decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have included 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 kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Erlanger KY nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is ensure that the Erlanger KY clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work run successfully. Based 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 physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Kentucky law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and attain 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 Education

Unlike many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Erlanger KY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed 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 two year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Erlanger KY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent choice for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized also. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Erlanger KY area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the best option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Erlanger KY medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Erlanger KY medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Erlanger KY with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you must look at when researching programs. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several great reasons to confirm 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. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 program 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 frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Erlanger KY 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 colleges design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, verify that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Erlanger KY area medical providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Erlanger healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Finding that initial job may be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Erlanger KY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a college to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Erlanger KY, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still have to schedule all internships or practical training that might be required. Also, 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 Erlanger Kentucky?

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

Erlanger, Kentucky

Erlanger is a home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. It had a 2010 census population of 18,368. Erlanger is part of the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Erlanger was founded in the 1880s.[2] The city was named after the Parisian family bank of Emile d'Erlanger,[3] which helped finance the town's early development. In current usage, the name is pronounced in an anglicized way, with neither a French nor German accent. Nearby Elsmere was originally known as "South Erlanger".

As of the 2000 census,[5] there were 16,676 people, 6,597 households, and 4,406 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,002.4 people per square mile (772.9/km²). There were 6,865 housing units at an average density of 824.3 per square mile (318.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60% White, 27% African American, 0.02% Native American, 0.04% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10% of the population.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant School Erlanger KY

Erlanger KY medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Programs Near Me. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Erlanger KY.