Medical Assistant Curriculum Silver Spring MD - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Silver Spring Maryland

Silver Spring MD medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Silver Spring MD, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? A number of potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors also. You may choose to look into several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have provided several questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Silver Spring MD nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their duty is ensure that the Silver Spring MD clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities 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 practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out 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
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Maryland law, some opt 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Silver Spring 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 essentially two choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. 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 related field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Silver Spring MD There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent option for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized as well. But keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be performed in Silver Spring MD area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education may be the ideal choice for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Silver Spring MD medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and arguably 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 examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Silver Spring MD medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. Once those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many potential students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to Silver Spring MD with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must examine when assessing programs. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several good reasons to ensure that the college you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Silver Spring MD employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select 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 closer to one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the schools you are considering offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Silver Spring MD area health care providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students build relationships within the Silver Spring health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Getting that first job may be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Silver Spring MD area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller 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 practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Silver Spring MD, make certain that those times are offered. You might 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 will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Silver Spring Maryland?

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

Silver Spring, Maryland

Silver Spring is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located inside the Capital Beltway in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 76,716 according to 2013 estimates by the United States Census Bureau, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown, and the second largest in Montgomery County after Germantown.[2] Inner Silver Spring consists of the following neighborhoods: Downtown Silver Spring, East Silver Spring, Woodside, North Woodside, Woodside Park, North Hills Sligo Park, Long Branch, Montgomery Knolls, Franklin Knolls, Indian Spring Terrace, Indian Spring Village, Clifton Park Village, New Hampshire Estates, Oakview, and Woodmoor. Outer Silver Spring consist of the following neighborhoods: Four Corners, Wheaton, Glenmont, Forest Glen, Aspen Hill, Hillandale, White Oak, Colesville, Colesville Park, Cloverly, Calverton, Briggs Chaney, Greencastle, Northwood Park, Sunset Terrace, Fairland, Lyttonsville, and Kemp Mill.

The urbanized, oldest, and southernmost part of Silver Spring is a major business hub that lies at the north apex of Washington, D.C. As of 2004, the Central Business District (CBD) held 7,254,729 square feet (673,986 m2) of office space, 5216 dwelling units and 17.6 acres (71,000 m2) of parkland. The population density of this CBD area of Silver Spring was 15,600 per square mile all within 360 acres (1.5 km2) and approximately 2.5 square miles (6 km2) in the CBD/downtown area.[3] The community has recently undergone a significant renaissance, with the addition of major retail, residential, and office developments.

Silver Spring takes its name from a mica-flecked spring discovered there in 1840 by Francis Preston Blair, who subsequently bought much of the surrounding land. Acorn Park, tucked away in an area of south Silver Spring away from the main downtown area, is believed to be the site of the original spring.[4][5]

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Program Silver Spring MD

Silver Spring MD medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Curriculum. But regardless 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 supplied so you can 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 Silver Spring MD.