Medical Assistant Overview Great Mills MD

How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Great Mills Maryland

Great Mills MD medical assistant checking pulseNow that you have made a decision to join the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Great Mills MD, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You may decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have included a few 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 role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Great Mills MD nursing home patientThe job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their role is ensure that the Great Mills MD clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

  • Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
  • Scheduling and confirming appointments
  • Weighing and taking patients vital signs
  • Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
  • Giving basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Maryland law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the choices available 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

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Great Mills MD health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a practical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Great Mills MDThere are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good alternative for individuals who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced also. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Great Mills MD area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the right choice for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a position after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some possible Great Mills MD medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Great Mills MD medical assistant programsPrior to examining your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Great Mills MD with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should look at when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Great Mills MD employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’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. Obviously schools with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are reviewing provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Great Mills MD area medical providers. They are a great means to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students develop relationships within the Great Mills healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Finding that very first job may be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Great Mills MD area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a program to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the program you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Great Mills MD, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, find out 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 Great Mills Maryland?

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

Great Mills High School

Great Mills High School is a comprehensive public high school in Great Mills, Maryland, United States. It serves students in grades 9–12 in the mixed rural and suburban area at the confluence of the Potomac River, Patuxent River, and Chesapeake Bay. It belongs to the St. Mary's County Public Schools system, and is associated with two other county high schools: Leonardtown High School and Chopticon High School. The school is accredited by the Middle States Colleges and Secondary Schools and the Maryland State Department of Education.

The school has an enrollment of more than 1,600, with an ethnic makeup reflecting the community: 51% Caucasian, 40% African American, 5% Asian, 4% Hispanic, 1% other. Many of the families are employed by NAS Patuxent River, government contractors, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and others involved in the area's traditional agricultural and water-related businesses.

Great Mills High School is among the oldest continually operating school in St. Mary's County and the State of Maryland. It was founded in 1929 as one of the original high schools in the county. The campus now encompasses several acres and has a football, soccer, and field hockey field and uses a county pool next door.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Program Great Mills MD

Great Mills MD medical assistant studentIt’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Overview. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure 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 ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Great Mills MD.

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