Medical Assistant Degree Programs Hazel Park MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training Program near Hazel Park Michigan

Hazel Park MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Hazel Park MI, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? A number of prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest 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, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You might decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have provided some questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Hazel Park MI nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their function is to make sure that the Hazel Park MI clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties 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
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Michigan law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and obtain 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 Training Programs

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Hazel Park MI health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Hazel Park MI There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent alternative for students who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be performed in Hazel Park MI area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea 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. Some potential Hazel Park MI medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Hazel Park MI medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind 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 comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Hazel Park MI with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must examine when researching programs. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to verify that the school you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Hazel Park MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically 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 closer to one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Hazel Park MI area medical care providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Hazel Park medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Finding that initial job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Hazel Park 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 a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full time, it’s important that the program you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Hazel Park MI, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Hazel Park Michigan?

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

Hazel Park, Michigan

Hazel Park is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 16,422.[6] Hazel Park was incorporated in 1941 and bills itself as "The Friendly City".

In October 1882, a group of farmers gathered in a home located at the present-day city hall and had a meeting, requesting for a school to be built. A one-room school was eventually built in 1883 and later expanded to two rooms. In 1884, John W. Benjamine petitioned the state of Michigan to form a school district out of Royal Oak Township. Benjamine, who was Royal Oak Township's School Inspector, decided to name it Hazel Park School District 8, after the surplus amount of Hazelnut bushes in the area.

In 1920, another building, the Thomas W. Lacey School,[7] was built on present-day Woodruff Street. The original Hazel Park school was sold to Frank Neusius, who used it to open a barber shop and a grocery market. The rapid increase in school children caused the nascent school district to add four grade schools and build a larger building at the central location also called the Lacey School, which became the community focal point for its high school students. The continued population growth of the community led to the construction of Hazel Park High School, so the old high school became Lacey Junior High School, located at John R and Nine Mile Roads.[8]

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Hazel Park MI

Hazel Park MI medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Degree Programs. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Hazel Park MI.