Medical Assistant Trade School Flint MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training Program near Flint Michigan

Flint 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 Flint MI, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? A number of future students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (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 pertinent aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Flint MI nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their duty is ensure that the Flint MI hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are authorized to under Michigan law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the options available 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

Unlike most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Flint MI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options available for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. 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.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Flint MI There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent option for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened also. But keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be carried out in Flint MI area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary 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 a good choice for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing a position after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Flint MI medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Flint MI medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you must decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Flint MI with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should look at when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete 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 school is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Flint MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Next, find out what the program’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. Naturally programs with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the schools you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Flint MI area medical care providers. They are a great way to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the Flint medical community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Getting that very first job can be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Flint MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Flint MI, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Flint Michigan?

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

Flint, Michigan

Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, 66 miles (106 km) northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan.[8][9] According to the 2010 census, Flint has a population of 102,434, making it the seventh largest city in Michigan. The Flint metropolitan area is located entirely within Genesee County. It is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Michigan with a population of 425,790 in 2010.[10] The city was incorporated in 1855.

Flint was founded as a village by fur trader Jacob Smith in 1819 and became a major lumbering area on the historic Saginaw Trail during the 19th century. From the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, the city was a leading manufacturer of carriages and later automobiles, earning it the nickname "Vehicle City". General Motors (GM) was founded in Flint in 1908, and the city grew into an automobile manufacturing powerhouse for GM's Buick and Chevrolet divisions after World War II up until the early 1980s recession. Flint was also the home of the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936–37 that played a vital role in the formation of the United Auto Workers.

Since the late 1960s, Flint has faced several crises. The city sank into a deep economic depression after GM significantly downsized its workforce in the area from a 1978 high of 80,000 to under 8,000 by 2010. From 1960 to 2010, the population of the city nearly halved from 196,940 to 102,434. In the mid-2000s, Flint became known for its high crime rates and has repeatedly been ranked among the most dangerous cities in the United States.[11] The city was under a state of financial emergency from 2002–2004 and again from 2011–2015.[12][13] Since 2014, the city has faced a major public health emergency due to lead contamination in the local water supply that has affected thousands of residents, as well as an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease due to tainted water.[14][15]

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant School Flint MI

Flint MI medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re objective is 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 obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, 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 Medical Assistant Trade School. But irrespective 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 provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Flint MI.