Accredited Medical Assistant Programs Drayton Plains MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School near Drayton Plains Michigan

Drayton Plains MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Drayton Plains MI, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Most future students begin by checking out 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 very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You may decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to assist you with that process, we have included some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short 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 Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Drayton Plains MI nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their role is ensure that the Drayton Plains MI hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Michigan law, some choose 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 Programs

In contrast to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Drayton Plains MI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created 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 normally 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical 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.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Drayton Plains MI There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent alternative for students who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized also. But keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be performed in Drayton Plains MI area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your training might be the best option for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for those who want to advance 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 Drayton Plains MI medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. 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 sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Drayton Plains MI medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Drayton Plains MI with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you should examine when evaluating programs. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training 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 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 either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Drayton Plains MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to find out which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on 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 just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Drayton Plains MI area health care providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Drayton Plains healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Landing that first job can be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Drayton Plains MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

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

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the program you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Drayton Plains MI, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will also have to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Drayton Plains Michigan?

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

Drayton Plains, Michigan

In 1818, the Land Office opened in Detroit offering land for $2.00 an acre.[4] Horatio Foster, Jonathan Perry, and brothers Harvey and Austin Durfee were among the first to take advantage of the opportunity to become land owners in the wilderness north of Detroit.

In 1822, Horatio Foster and his wife were the first to settle in what would become Drayton Plains, although just temporarily as they moved northward a few years later where they permanently settled. In 1823, the first to establish permanent homes in Drayton Plains were Jonathan Perry, Harvey Durfee and Austin Durfee.

In 1825, the Erie Canal opened, linking the waters of Lake Erie in the west to the Hudson River in the east. The canal made travelling from the east easier, which resulted in an influx of settlers moving into the Michigan Territory.[5]

Choose the Right Medical Assistant School Drayton Plains MI

Drayton Plains MI medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection 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 an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Accredited Medical Assistant Programs. 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Drayton Plains MI.