How Long Does It Take To Be A Medical Assistant Dearborn MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training School near Dearborn Michigan

Dearborn MI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Dearborn MI, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? A number of prospective students start 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 important issues as well. You might decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have included some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Dearborn MI nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their function is ensure that the Dearborn MI clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work operate successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Michigan law, some choose to specialize in a specific 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 Programs

In contrast to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Dearborn MI health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two choices offered for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred 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 Dearborn MI There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good choice for those who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced also. But keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be completed in Dearborn MI area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the ideal option for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for individuals who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting a position after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Dearborn MI medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Dearborn MI medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Dearborn MI with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to examine when evaluating programs. To help you with that process, below 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 good reasons to ensure that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure 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 acknowledged 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 either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Dearborn MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Dearborn MI area healthcare providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Dearborn healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Finding that initial job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Dearborn MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much personal instruction you will get throughout 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 sit in on a few classes before choosing a college to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s important that the school you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Dearborn MI, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Dearborn Michigan?

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

Dearborn, Michigan

Dearborn is a city in the State of Michigan. It is located in Wayne County and is part of the Detroit metropolitan area. Dearborn is the eighth largest city in the State of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 98,153 and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States.[5] First settled in the late 18th century by French farmers in a series of ribbon farms along the Rouge River and the Sauk Trail, the community grew with the establishment of the Detroit Arsenal on the Chicago Road linking Detroit and Chicago. It later developed as a major manufacturing hub for the automotive industry, as Henry Ford built his Rouge River Ford Complex here.

Henry Ford was born on a farm here and later established an estate in Dearborn, as well as his River Rouge Complex, the largest factory of his Ford empire. He developed mass production of automobiles, and based the world headquarters of the Ford Motor Company here. The city has a campus of the University of Michigan as well as Henry Ford College. The Henry Ford, the United States' largest indoor-outdoor historic museum complex and Metro Detroit's leading tourist attraction, is located here.[6][7]

Dearborn residents are Americans primarily of European or Middle Eastern ancestry, descendants of 19th and 20th-century immigrants. Because of new waves of immigration from the Middle East in the late 20th century, the largest ethnic grouping is now composed of descendants of various nationalities of that area: Christians from Lebanon and Palestine, as well as Muslim immigrants from Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The primary European ethnicities as identified by respondents to the census are German, Polish, Irish and Italian.

Choose the Right Medical Assistant Course Dearborn MI

Dearborn MI medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re planning to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long Does It Take To Be A Medical Assistant. 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, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Dearborn MI.