How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Summit Kentucky
Now that you have decided to join the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Summit KY, it’s time to select a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? Most potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You might choose to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.
The Role of a Medical Assistant
The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their role is ensure that the Summit KY clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work operate successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
- Setting and confirming appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures
Although medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Kentucky law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and earn 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 Training Programs
In contrast to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Summit KY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Medical Assistant Online Schools
There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent option for students who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced also. Just remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be carried out in Summit KY area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your training may be the ideal option for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in getting a job after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Summit KY medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and perhaps 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 be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.
Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs
Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Summit KY with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must examine when evaluating schools. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved organizations for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your school is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Summit KY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Second, 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 assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, verify that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Summit KY area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students build relationships within the Summit medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Getting that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Summit KY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual 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 teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to witness what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working 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 Summit KY, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all clinical training or internships that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy 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 Summit Kentucky?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Summit KY area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Summit, Kentucky
Summit is an unincorporated community in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States on US 60 just west of Ashland. Summit serves as a suburb to the city of Ashland and shares the city's ZIP code. Summit is sometimes spelled with two "T's" at the end, although the most common spelling contains only one "T" but either variation is accepted as correct.
Summit is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 288,649. The Summit name was first applied to a 19th-century railroad passenger and freight station located at the site. Summit was selected as descriptive of the location's unique topographical features including a flat terrain on a higher elevation than other parts of the surrounding area. Unusual for the region, this terrain was created by the ancient Teay's River and the associated Glacial Lake Tight. The Lexington, Elizabethtown, and Big Sandy Railroad opened a station here in the late 19th century after the railroad was constructed through Summit. It served the residents of what was then a sparsely populated farming community until the station was closed due to its close proximity to Ashland made it no longer necessary. Now a populated suburban area, Summit's development was slow until the Federal Correctional Institution was located at the heart of Summit on Kentucky Route 716. This and the upgrading of U.S. Route 60, made transportation easier for residents to commute to and from Ashland.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Federal Correctional Institution, Ashland in Summit,[1][2] 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Ashland.[3] There is also an adjacent federal prison camp, which in 2006 was listed as one of the best places to go to prison by Forbes magazine.[4]
Choose the Right Medical Assistant Course Summit KY
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will provide the right training. Whether you’re goal 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 get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Quick Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the kind 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 supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Summit KY.
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