CMA Medical Assistant Freeport MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School Program near Freeport Michigan

Freeport MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Freeport MI, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Most potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You may want to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have included some questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Freeport MI nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their duty is to make sure that the Freeport MI hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals 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
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Michigan law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and attain 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 Programs

Unlike most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Freeport 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 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as 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 often have a clinical element involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Freeport MI There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good alternative for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized also. But keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be carried out in Freeport MI area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the best choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Freeport MI medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Freeport MI medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Freeport MI with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to look at when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to verify that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction 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 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 program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Freeport 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 ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Freeport MI area health care providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Freeport medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Getting that very first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Freeport 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 a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator 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 offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Freeport MI, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Freeport Michigan?

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

Freeport-McMoRan

Freeport is the largest producer of molybdenum, and second largest producer of copper, in the world.[1] In 2015, 67% of its revenues were from the sale of copper, 11% from the sale of petroleum, 10% from the sale of gold, and 5% from the sale of molybdenum.[1] In 2015, sales to Phillips 66 accounted for 7% of the total revenues of the company.[1]

Freeport Cobalt holds a 100% interest in Kisanfu, a copper and cobalt exploration project located near Tenke. This subsidiary also owns a large cobalt refinery in Kokkola, Finland, along with a related sales and marketing business. FCX has an effective 56% of that enterprise. Negotiations in 2016 to include these cobalt projects in a sale to China Molybdenum of Tenke Fungurume Mine--a cobalt/copper mine in DRC Congo--in did not bear fruit.[3][4]

Past board members include Henry Kissinger (1995 - 2001), John Hay Whitney, Robert A. Lovett, Benno C. Schmidt Sr. (1954 - 1967), Gus Long, Arleigh Burke, J. Stapleton Roy, Godfrey Rockefeller and his cousin-in-law, Jean Mauzé.

Select the Right Medical Assistant School Freeport MI

Freeport MI medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will provide the proper 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 lifetime career, you must get the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in CMA Medical Assistant. 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 so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Freeport MI.