Becoming A Medical Assistant Harrodsburg KY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Harrodsburg Kentucky

Harrodsburg KY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Harrodsburg KY, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Many potential students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You may choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an option 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 colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Harrodsburg KY nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Harrodsburg KY hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Kentucky law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Harrodsburg KY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often 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.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Harrodsburg KY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent alternative for students who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened also. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be completed in Harrodsburg KY area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your training might be the right choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting employment after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential Harrodsburg KY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and arguably 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, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Harrodsburg KY medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you need to determine which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Harrodsburg KY with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you need to look at when researching programs. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the college you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete 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 program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Harrodsburg KY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Harrodsburg KY area medical care providers. They are a great means to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students develop relationships within the Harrodsburg health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Finding that first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Harrodsburg KY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a school to observe what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Harrodsburg KY, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will still need to schedule all internships or practical training that might be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Harrodsburg Kentucky?

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

Harrodsburg, Kentucky

Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesborough and was not incorporated by the Kentucky legislature until 1836,[4] it is usually considered the oldest city in Kentucky and has been honored as the oldest permanent American settlement west of the Appalachians.

Harrodstown (sometimes Harrod's Town) was laid out and founded by James Harrod on June 16, 1774.[5] Later that same year, amid Dunmore's War, the settlement was abandoned as a result of Shawnee attacks. Resettled the following year, it was one of three settlements in present day Kentucky at the time the 13 colonies declared independence in 1776, along with Logan's Fort and Boonesborough. Also known as Oldtown, Harrodstown was the first seat of Virginia's Kentucky (1776), Lincoln (1780), and Mercer (1785) counties upon their formations.[6] It remains the seat of Mercer County in Kentucky.

The settlement was formally established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1785 as Harrodsburg.[5] Four years later, it was named the location for the newly created United States District Court for the District of Kentucky by the Judiciary Act of 1789.[7] The Kentucky General Assembly incorporated Harrodsburg in 1836.[4]

Choose the Best Medical Assistant Training Harrodsburg KY

Harrodsburg KY medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice 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 schools offering 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 certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Becoming A Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Harrodsburg KY.