Medical Assistant Training Online Baltimore MD - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Baltimore Maryland

Baltimore MD medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Baltimore MD, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the right one? Most potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You might decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on 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 schools you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Baltimore MD nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their function is ensure that the Baltimore MD hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work operate efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Maryland law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices 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 Courses

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Baltimore MD health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two options available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about a year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical element 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 related field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Baltimore MD There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent choice for those who might not have the time to attend 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 attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized also. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Baltimore MD area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the best choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for those who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Baltimore MD medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Baltimore MD medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Baltimore MD with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must examine when assessing programs. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to confirm that the school you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Baltimore MD employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate 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 choose to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately two years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, make sure that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Baltimore MD area healthcare providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students develop relationships within the Baltimore healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Landing that initial job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Baltimore MD area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Baltimore MD, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Baltimore Maryland?

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

Baltimore

Baltimore was established by the Constitution of Maryland[9] and is an independent city that is not part of any county. With a population of 611,648 in 2017, Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States. As of 2017, the population of the Baltimore metropolitan area was estimated to be just under 2.808 million, making it the 20th largest metropolitan area in the country.[10] Baltimore is located about 40 miles (60 km) northeast of Washington, D.C., making it a principal city in the Washington-Baltimore combined statistical area (CSA), the fourth-largest CSA in the nation, with a calculated 2017 population of 9,764,315.[11]

Founded in 1729, Baltimore is the second-largest seaport in the Mid-Atlantic.[12] The city's Inner Harbor was once the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States, when most were coming from Europe. It was also a major manufacturing center.[13] After a decline in major manufacturing, heavy industry, and restructuring of the rail industry, Baltimore has shifted to a service-oriented economy. Johns Hopkins Hospital (founded 1889) and Johns Hopkins University (founded 1876) are the city's top two employers.[14]

With hundreds of identified districts, Baltimore has been dubbed a "city of neighborhoods". Famous residents have included writers Edgar Allan Poe, Edith Hamilton, Frederick Douglass, and H. L. Mencken; jazz musician James "Eubie" Blake; singer Billie Holiday; actor and filmmaker John Waters; and baseball player Babe Ruth. During the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner" in Baltimore after the bombardment of Fort McHenry. His poem was set to music and popularized as a song; in 1931 it was designated as the American national anthem.[15]

Select the Best Medical Assistant Training Program Baltimore MD

Baltimore MD medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training Online. 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, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Baltimore MD.