How to Pick a Medical Assistant School Program near Concord Michigan
Once you have decided to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Concord MI, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Most potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You might choose to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included a few questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.
The Role of Medical Assistants
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their role is to make sure that the Concord MI clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending 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 support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and filing claims
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Supplying general support during exams and procedures
Although medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Michigan law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Medical Assistant Training Programs
Compared to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Concord MI health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Online Medical Assistant Colleges
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Concord MI area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your education may be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Concord MI medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for 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 as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you must choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Concord MI with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the program you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted agencies 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 one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Concord MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want 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. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, verify that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Concord MI area medical providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Concord healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Support Provided? Getting that first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Concord MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full-time, it’s imperative that the college you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Concord MI, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will still need to schedule all internships or practical training that might be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Concord Michigan?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Concord MI area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord (/ˈkɒŋkərd/) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668.[1] The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is located near where the confluence of the Sudbury and Assabet rivers forms the Concord River.
The area that became the town of Concord was originally known as Musketaquid, an Algonquian word for "grassy plain." Concord was established in 1635 by a handful of British settlers; by 1775, the population had grown to 1,400.[2] As dissension between colonists in North America and the British crown intensified, 700 troops were sent to confiscate militia ordnance stored at Concord on April 19, 1775.[3][4] The ensuing conflict, the Battle of Lexington and Concord, was the final inciting incident (the shot heard round the world) that triggered the American Revolutionary War.
A rich literary community developed in Concord during the mid-nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson's circle included Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott and Henry David Thoreau. Major works written in Concord during this period include Alcott's novel Little Women, Emerson's essay Self-Reliance, and Thoreau's Walden and Civil Disobedience. In this era, the now-ubiquitous Concord grape was developed in Concord by Ephraim Wales Bull.
Pick the Best Medical Assistant College Concord MI
It’s essential to start 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 lifetime career, you must obtain the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Degree. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Concord MI.
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