Medical Assistant Online Frankfort KY

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Frankfort Kentucky

Frankfort KY medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have decided to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Frankfort KY, it’s time to select 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 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 critical issues also. You may want to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Frankfort KY nursing home patientThe function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Frankfort KY hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions 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 giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

  • Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
  • Scheduling and verifying appointments
  • Taking vital signs and weighing patients
  • Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
  • Providing basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are authorized to under Kentucky law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices 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 Programs

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Frankfort KY health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to complete, a few 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 attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Frankfort KYThere are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be carried out in Frankfort KY area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the best choice for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for individuals who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Frankfort KY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among 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). In order to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Frankfort KY medical assistant programsPrior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you must choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending 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 opening of this article, many potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Frankfort KY with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should examine when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to make sure that the college you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training 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 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 one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Frankfort KY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Frankfort KY area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Frankfort health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Landing that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Frankfort KY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Smaller 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 practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to see what the teaching environment is like and 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 college you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Frankfort KY, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that may be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Frankfort Kentucky?

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

Frankfort, Kentucky

Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the seat of Franklin County.[2] It is a home rule-class city[3] in Kentucky; the population was 25,527 at the 2010 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the principal city of the Frankfort, Kentucky Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Franklin and Anderson counties.

The town of Frankfort likely received its name from an event that took place in the 1780s. American Indians attacked a group of early European-American pioneers from Bryan Station, who were making salt at a ford in the Kentucky River. Pioneer Stephen Frank was killed, and the settlers thereafter called the crossing "Frank's Ford." This name was later elided to Frankfort.[4]

In 1786, James Wilkinson purchased the 260-acre (1.1 km2) tract of land on the north side of the Kentucky River, which developed as downtown Frankfort. He was an early promoter of Frankfort as the state capital.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Frankfort KY

Frankfort KY medical assistant studentIt’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Online. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Frankfort KY.

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