Medical Assistant Certification Hanover MD - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Program near Hanover Maryland

Hanover MD medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Hanover MD, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? Many prospective students begin by researching 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 also. You might decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have provided several questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Hanover MD nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their function is to make sure that the Hanover MD clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work run efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Maryland law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn 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 Training

In contrast to most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Hanover MD health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to finish, a few as little as six to nine 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 typically 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Hanover MD There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent choice for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened also. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Hanover MD area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the right option for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Hanover MD medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Hanover MD medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you have to choose 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 process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Hanover MD with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to explore when assessing schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make certain that the school you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Hanover MD employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially 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, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Hanover MD area medical providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also assist students establish relationships within the Hanover health care community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Getting that first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Hanover MD area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Hanover MD, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will still have to schedule all internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Hanover Maryland?

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

Hanover, Maryland

Hanover, Maryland is an unincorporated community in the Baltimore/Annapolis area in northwestern Anne Arundel County, Maryland and eastern Howard County, Maryland in the United States, located south of Baltimore on the Howard County line.

It is located approximately at the intersection of Maryland State Highway 100 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area and is located just southwest of the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (commonly known as "BWI"). It is bordered by Severn to the south, Linthicum to the east, Baltimore to the northeast, Ft. Meade to the west, and Columbia to the north.

In the past, the community also consisted of "Anderson", a post office stop founded along the B&O tracks from 1874–1881 along modern Anderson Avenue, and operated as "Hanoverville" until December 1896.[3]

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Hanover MD

Hanover MD medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will furnish the right 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 life long career, you need to obtain the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Certification. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Hanover MD.