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How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Program near Temple Hills Maryland

Temple Hills MD medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Temple Hills MD, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Most prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You may want to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have provided several questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Temple Hills MD nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their job is ensure that the Temple Hills MD hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. 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 tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

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

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Maryland law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the options 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 Courses

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Temple Hills MD health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a practical component requiring 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 similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Temple Hills MD There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized also. But remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Temple Hills MD area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your training might be the best option for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for those who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting a job after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Temple Hills MD medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Temple Hills MD medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Temple Hills MD with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the program you select is accredited. To start 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 need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Temple Hills MD employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must determine which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are considering provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Temple Hills MD area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Temple Hills health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Getting that very first job can be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Temple Hills MD area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual attention 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 teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the college you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Temple Hills MD, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, 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 Temple Hills Maryland?

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

Temple Hills, Maryland

Temple Hills is a suburb of Washington, D.C., southeast of the downtown district. It is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States.[1] As of the 2010 census it had a population of 7,852.[2]

The community was named after Dr. Edward Temple, who in the 1860s lived in a home beside Henson Creek known as Moor Park.[3] Within the area are numerous garden apartments, duplexes, and single family communities constructed mostly from the 1950s through 1970s. The large community of Hillcrest Heights is nearby (and has a Temple Hills mailing address), with the 1960s 2-level Iverson Mall and Marlow Heights shopping centers.

Rosecroft Raceway (since 1949, harness horse racing) is nearby in Oxon Hill, although the racing audience has declined greatly. There are large public indoor and outdoor swimming pools operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and also the private Temple Hills Swim Club. The area is especially convenient to the Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495), the Metrorail Green Line, Andrews Air Force Base, the U.S. Census Bureau, and Capitol Hill.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant College Temple Hills MD

Temple Hills MD medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning 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 get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you select is accredited by a recognized agency, such as 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 Fast Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Temple Hills MD.