How to Pick a Medical Assistant Program near Harmony Maine
Now that you have decided to join the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Harmony ME, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? A number of future students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You might want to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have included a few questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.
The Role of Medical Assistants
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their function is ensure that the Harmony ME hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. 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 responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and filing claims
- Scheduling and verifying appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Providing general support during exams and procedures
Although medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are authorized to under Maine law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the options available 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 Training Courses
Compared to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Harmony ME health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about a year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs offered at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a practical element requiring 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 related field.
Online Medical Assistant Programs
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent alternative for students who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized also. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be carried out in Harmony ME area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training may be the best option for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting a position after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Harmony ME medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.
Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Harmony ME with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must look at when researching programs. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to confirm that the program you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Harmony ME employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing 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 concentrating on 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 methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Harmony ME area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Harmony medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Service Provided? Landing that very first job can be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Harmony ME area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program 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 employers to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a school to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Harmony ME, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Harmony Maine?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Harmony ME area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Fifth Harmony
Fifth Harmony is an American girl group based in Miami, composed of Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and previously Camila Cabello until her departure from the group on December 18, 2016.[2][3] The group signed a joint record deal with Simon Cowell's label Syco Records and L.A. Reid's label Epic Records after forming and finishing third in the second season of the American televised singing competition The X Factor in 2012. Rising to prominence by social media, the group's debut extended play and their three studio albums all charted within the top ten of the Billboard 200 in the United States.
Following their exit from The X Factor, they released their debut single "Miss Movin' On", preceding their extended play Better Together, being certified gold in the United States. Its music video won the group the MTV Video Music Award for Artist to Watch.[4] The group released their debut studio album Reflection in 2015, also receiving a gold certification in the country.[5] The album included the singles "Boss", "Sledgehammer" and "Worth It". The latter achieved triple platinum certification in the United States and reached the top-ten in thirteen countries. The following year, "Work from Home", the lead single from their second album 7/27, became the group's first top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100[6] and the first top-five by a girl group in a decade on that chart.[7] They released their self-titled third album Fifth Harmony in 2017.
Their accolades include three MTV Europe Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four iHeartRadio Music Awards, an American Music Award, a Billboard Women in Music award and six Teen Choice Awards. As of December 2016, in the United States, Fifth Harmony has sold a total of 456,000 albums, seven million digital songs and earned 1.6 billion on-demand streams, according to Nielsen Soundscan.[8] The group went on hiatus in May 2018, allowing the members to pursue solo projects.[9]
Select the Best Medical Assistant College Harmony ME
It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the right information 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 certain that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Degree Programs. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Harmony ME.
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