How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Spring Lake Michigan
Once you have made a decision to join the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Spring Lake MI, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? Many future students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues also. You may want to look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.
The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant
The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their function is ensure that the Spring Lake MI hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work operate successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
- Setting and confirming appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Supplying general support during exams and procedures
Although medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Michigan law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Medical Assistant Courses
Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Spring Lake MI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. 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 Schools
There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good option for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be performed in Spring Lake MI area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the best choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Spring Lake MI medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of 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 sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.
Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs
Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many prospective students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to Spring Lake MI with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you should look at when evaluating schools. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many great reasons to confirm that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Spring Lake MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’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 school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are looking at offer the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Spring Lake MI area healthcare providers. They are a great method to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Spring Lake healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Support Provided? Getting that very first job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Spring Lake MI area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the program you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Spring Lake MI, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also need to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, ask 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 Spring Lake Michigan?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Spring Lake MI area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Spring Lake, Michigan
In 1837, Captain Benjamin Hopkins purchased land in the area and built a mill. The place became known as "Hopkins Mill". In 1849, Thomas W. White and S.C. Hopkins recorded a plat with the name "Mill Point". A post office was established with that name in May 1851. In May 1867, the post office was renamed "Spring Lake", which was also the name of a station on the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway (later part of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad). The Village of Spring Lake was incorporated in 1869.[6] The post office continues to operate, with ZIP code 49456.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.74 square miles (4.51 km2), of which 1.18 square miles (3.06 km2) is land and 0.56 square miles (1.45 km2) is water.[1]
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 2,323 people, 1,067 households, and 635 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,968.6 inhabitants per square mile (760.1/km2). There were 1,301 housing units at an average density of 1,102.5 per square mile (425.7/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 96.7% White, 0.2% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
Select the Right Medical Assistant Training Spring Lake MI
It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, such as 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 Classes Cost. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Spring Lake MI.
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