How Long To Get Medical Assistant Certification Whitmore Lake MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Whitmore Lake Michigan

Whitmore Lake MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Whitmore Lake MI, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Many prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean 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 factors as well. You may want to look into several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Whitmore Lake MI nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their job is to make sure that the Whitmore Lake MI hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work run successfully. Based 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 support to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking 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 duty they are qualified to under Michigan law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Programs

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Whitmore Lake MI health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about 1 year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics 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 provided at community and junior colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Whitmore Lake MI There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent choice for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized also. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Whitmore Lake MI area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your education might be the ideal option for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a position after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Whitmore Lake MI medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Whitmore Lake MI medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Whitmore Lake MI with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should examine when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to make certain that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations 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 allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Whitmore Lake MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Next, 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 programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Whitmore Lake MI area medical care providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They can also help students establish relationships within the Whitmore Lake healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Getting that first job may be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Whitmore Lake MI area and find out 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 health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to experience what the teaching environment 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 important that the school you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Whitmore Lake MI, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Whitmore Lake Michigan?

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

Whitmore Lake, Michigan

Whitmore Lake is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community spans the boundary between Green Oak Township in Livingston County and Northfield Township in Washtenaw County. The United States Census Bureau has defined a census-designated place (CDP) with this name for statistical purposes, which has no legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 6,423 at the 2010 census.[3]

The community is located about 9 miles (14 km) north of Ann Arbor and about 9 miles (14 km) south of Brighton. It is situated around the shores of Whitmore Lake, and the CDP also includes the area around the smaller Horseshoe Lake to the south, Lawton Lake to the east and Monahan Lake to the northeast. U.S. Highway 23 forms the western edge of much of the CDP.[4]

The Whitmore Lake post office, with ZIP code 48189, serves a larger area than that defined by the CDP and includes portions of southeast Hamburg Township, northeastern Webster Township, and larger parts of Green Oak and Northfield Townships than are included in the CDP.[5]

Pick the Best Medical Assistant College Whitmore Lake MI

Whitmore Lake MI medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to obtain the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by a recognized 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 How Long To Get Medical Assistant Certification. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Whitmore Lake MI.