How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training Program near Mancelona Michigan
Once you have made a decision to join the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Mancelona MI, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the right one? A number of future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You may want to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have provided some questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.
The Duties of Medical Assistants
The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Mancelona MI clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work operate efficiently. 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 responsible for providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible duties 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 fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Giving basic support during examinations and procedures
While medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Michigan law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and attain 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 Courses
In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Mancelona 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 basically two choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Medical Assistant Online Programs
There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are an excellent option for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Mancelona MI area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the best choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some possible Mancelona MI medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. 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). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.
Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Mancelona MI with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must look at when researching schools. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to make certain that the school you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Mancelona MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must find out 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 obviously you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select 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 closer to one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Mancelona MI area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Mancelona health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Support Provided? Finding that first job can be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Mancelona 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 large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before choosing a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the program you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Mancelona MI, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Mancelona Michigan?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Mancelona MI area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Mancelona, Michigan
Mancelona Andress, daughter of Perry Andress, was born March 28, 1865 in Missouri. She came to the Mancelona area in 1869, when she was four years old. Her father was the first settler to locate at the site of the town.The township, and later, the village of Mancelona, took its name from her. Mancelona had a brother named Orion. In 1871 the Township was authorized by the Legislature in Antrim County. People came first primarily to farm. In 1872 the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad arrive opening up the Village to southern and northern trade centers. In 1882 a John Otis built a blast furnace in the unincorporated village of Antrim.
Mancelona is probably best known for its annual buck pole, a deer hunting contest that has drawn hunters from across the State. Additionally, Mancelona hosts the annual "Bass Festival", a four-day event featuring a Grand Parade, carnival, flea market, and other community activities. The Bass Festival is held the first weekend in June. In 1999, a new high school was opened, and renovations to the middle school were completed. Up until recently, the town had three factories that employed most of the town. The largest factory, a Dura Automotive Systems plant, closed in February 2009 and the community has had a change for the worse. From 1947 to 1967, Mount Clemens Industries, Incorporated, formerly Mt. Clemens Metal Products Company, used trichloroethylene (TCE) in vapor degreasers. Afterwards, the TCE was disposed of by dumping it on the ground near the building. Some TCE may also have been dumped into seepage pits and burned. Through these improper disposal methods, TCE has now contaminated the groundwater in and around Mancelona, MI. The contaminated plume begins at the manufacturing plant, currently known as Dura Automotive Manufacturing Plant, and extends approximately six miles to the northwest to the Schuss Mountain/Shanty Creek Resort area. The leading edge of the Wickes Manufacturing TCE Plume (also known as Mancelona-Cedar River TCE Plume), at the resort area, is approximately 1.25 miles wide. The plume has also reached the Cedar River, and is now contaminating a cold-water, high quality trout stream. TCE is a colorless liquid with a sweet odor similar to chloroform. TCE is most commonly used as a degreasing solvent in manufacturing plants. Breathing small amounts may cause headaches, dizziness, lung irritation, and difficulty concentrating. Drinking water that contains TCE over an extended period of time can lead to liver and kidney problems and may also be carcinogenic. The TOSC Program at Michigan State University has been asked to provide assistance to Mancelona-area citizens regarding the Mancelona-Cedar River TCE Plume. TOSC met with Antrim County United through Ecology (ACUTE) and Mancelona-area citizens to assess community concerns and discuss TOSC's involvement. TOSC has developed a Memorandum of Understanding, which has been signed jointly by ACUTE and TOSC. [6] While the Mancelona area is as of 2012 the focus of extensive natural gas production activities associated with the Antrim Shale formation, this production does not support employment sufficient to recompense the community for the factories it once had.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.00 square mile (2.59 km2), all of it land.[1] The village is located at 44°54′08″N 85°03′39″W / 44.90222°N 85.06083°W / 44.90222; -85.06083
Select the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Mancelona MI
It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Program Cost. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Mancelona MI.
More Medical Locations in Michigan
Business Results 1 - 10 of 2
5 Reviews 
1 Reviews 