How Long Is Medical Assistant School Dimondale MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School Program near Dimondale Michigan

Dimondale MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Dimondale MI, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Many future 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 cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You might choose to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Dimondale MI nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their function is ensure that the Dimondale MI hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work operate successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Giving general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Michigan law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the choices available 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 most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Dimondale MI 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 options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to complete, some as little as six to nine 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 usually 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. 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 Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Dimondale MI There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good alternative for students who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue working full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced also. But keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be performed in Dimondale MI area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your training may be the best option for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for individuals who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Dimondale MI medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Dimondale MI medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Dimondale MI with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make certain that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Dimondale MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Dimondale MI area medical providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They can also help students establish relationships within the Dimondale health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Landing that initial job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Dimondale MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a school to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the college you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Dimondale MI, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Dimondale Michigan?

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

Dimondale, Michigan

Dimondale is a village in Eaton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,234 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Windsor Charter Township. Dimondale is a suburb of Lansing, which is northeast of the village in Ingham County. The village is sometimes misspelled as Diamondale.

The Potawatomi originally had a permanent camp along the Grand River in the Dimondale area before white settlement began in the 1830s. Relations between white settlers (most of whom were from New York and New England) and the Potowatomie were generally cordial with local residents permanently deeding 10 acres (40,000 m2) of land near the river to the local Indians. The local band held the deed to the leased land until the Potowatomie were forced west by the Indian Removal Act. Isaac M. Dimond came to the area in 1848 and, as one of his enterprises, in 1850 began to construct a dam, just east of Silver Creek on the Grand River near the center of section 15. By 1852, the dam was completed and a saw mill was in operation. He built a grist mill in 1856. On August 6, 1856, Hosey Harvey surveyed the village in order for Dimond to have it platted with the name "Dimondale". An unusual feature of the village is that its streets run Northeast to Southwest and Northwest to Southeast, while most streets and roads in the surrounding area, indeed the whole Midwest, run North-South and East-West. Its borders make a rough diamond shape on a map.

A post office named "East Windsor" had been established in the eastern part of Windsor Township in about 1860. This office was transferred to Dimondale and renamed in 1872. In 1878 the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway came through and the area was given a station referring to it as Dimondale. In 1906, Dimondale incorporated as a village.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant School Dimondale MI

Dimondale MI medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. 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, make sure that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long Is Medical Assistant School. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend 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 in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Dimondale MI.