Medical Assistant Education Romulus MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Romulus Michigan

Romulus MI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Romulus MI, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? Most potential students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You may choose to look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Romulus MI nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their function is ensure that the Romulus MI clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are qualified 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 Courses

Compared to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Romulus 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 generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Romulus MI There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent option for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Romulus MI area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the best option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in getting a position after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Romulus MI medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received 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). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Romulus MI medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Romulus MI with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to explore when assessing programs. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many great reasons to make certain that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training 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 organizations 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 agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Romulus MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make sure that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Romulus MI area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Romulus health care community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Landing that very first job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Romulus MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a college to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the program you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Romulus MI, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol 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 Romulus Michigan?

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

Romulus, Michigan

Romulus is a suburban city of Metro Detroit, located in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 23,989 at the 2010 census, an increase from 22,979 in 2000, making the city the 80th largest city in Michigan. Romulus is home to Detroit Metropolitan Airport and a General Motors plant (Romulus Engine) that opened in 1975. The city is the westernmost community in the Downriver area of Wayne County.

The first settler in the area that was the village of Romulus prior to the 1865 annexation of the whole village and township into one city was Samuel McMath, who moved from New York state to the area in 1827. He improved land and planned to bring his family to settle there, but he died before he could carry out this plan.[5]

Solomon Whitaker, Charles and Joseph Pulcifer located in the area in 1830, and in 1833, Jenks Pullen and his six sons settled at what became known as "Pullen's Corners" (located in section 19 at the intersection that is now commonly called "Five Points"). Pullen's Corners was platted in 1836. The community later took on the name of the township.[6][7][8][9]

Select the Best Medical Assistant School Romulus MI

Romulus MI medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Education. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Romulus MI.