Medical Assistant Trade School Rockville MD - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School near Rockville Maryland

Rockville MD medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Rockville MD, it’s time to select a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You may choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have included a few questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Rockville MD nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Rockville MD clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

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

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Maryland law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and attain 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 Courses

Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Rockville MD health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, 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 obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Rockville MD There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent option for students who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced as well. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be performed in Rockville MD area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the ideal option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for individuals who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Rockville MD medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of 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 take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Rockville MD medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many potential students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Rockville MD with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to examine when researching programs. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the college you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies 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 one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Rockville MD employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about 2 years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Rockville MD area medical providers. They are a great way to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students establish relationships within the Rockville healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Getting that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Rockville MD area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high 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 employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the school you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Rockville MD, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Rockville Maryland?

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

Rockville, Maryland

Rockville is a city and the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2010 census tabulated Rockville's population at 61,209, making it one of the largest communities in Maryland[7] and the third largest location in Montgomery County, after Silver Spring and Germantown.[8]

Rockville, along with neighboring Gaithersburg and Bethesda, is at the core of the Interstate 270 Technology Corridor which is home to numerous software and biotechnology companies as well as several federal government institutions. The city also has several upscale regional shopping centers and is one of the major retail hubs in Montgomery County.

Situated in the Piedmont region and crossed by three creeks (Rock Creek, Cabin John Creek, and Watts Branch), Rockville provided an excellent refuge for semi-nomadic Native Americans as early as 8000 BC. By the first millennium BC, a few of these groups had settled down into year-round agricultural communities that exploited the native flora, including sunflowers and marsh elder. By AD 1200, these early groups (dubbed Montgomery Indians by later archaeologists) were increasingly drawn into conflict with the Senecas and Susquehannocks who had migrated south from Pennsylvania and New York. Within the present-day boundaries of the city, six prehistoric sites have been uncovered and documented, along with numerous artifacts several thousand years old. By the year 1700, under pressure from European colonists, the majority of these original inhabitants had been driven away.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Course Rockville MD

Rockville MD medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example 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 Trade School. But regardless 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 evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Rockville MD.