Medical Assistant Associate Degree Bethel MN - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training Program near Bethel Minnesota

Bethel MN medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Bethel MN, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? A number of potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You might decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Bethel MN nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their job is ensure that the Bethel MN clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Minnesota law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options 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 Training Programs

Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Bethel MN health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Bethel MN There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened also. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Bethel MN area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your training might be the ideal choice for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Bethel MN medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty 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.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Bethel MN medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you need to determine which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Bethel MN with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must explore when researching schools. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 school is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Bethel MN employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? 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 shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, verify that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Bethel MN area medical providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the Bethel health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Finding that first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Bethel MN area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Bethel MN, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Bethel Minnesota?

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

Bethel University (Minnesota)

Bethel University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located primarily in Arden Hills, Minnesota. Founded in 1871 as a Baptist seminary, Bethel currently enrolls about 6,500 students in its undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs.[4] It is affiliated with Converge, formerly known as the Baptist General Conference, and is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.[4]

Bethel University began in Chicago, Illinois, as a seminary for Baptist immigrants from Sweden. In 1871, John Alexis Edgren opened a school for Swedish Baptist immigrants in the basement of First Swedish Baptist Church in Chicago.[5] In 1914, now under the support of Baptist General Conference, the seminary merged with Bethel Academy and relocated its campus to Saint Paul, Minnesota. In 1931, the Academy became Bethel Junior College. The addition of a four-year liberal arts college program created Bethel College and Seminary in 1947. The school relocated from St. Paul to Arden Hills, Minnesota in 1972. Beginning in 2004, the institution changed its name to Bethel University.[6]

The university offers degree programs through four different schools. The College of Arts and Sciences is its traditional undergraduate program, Bethel offers bachelor's degrees in 88 majors and 43 minors, as well as 11 pre-professional programs. The College of Adults & Professional Studies offers associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and a number of certificate programs. Through its graduate school, Bethel offers ten master's degrees, including a physician assistant program, as well as a doctorate in educational leadership. Bethel also offers a number of graduate certificate programs and licenses.[4]

Select the Best Medical Assistant Training Bethel MN

Bethel MN medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if 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 need to obtain the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Associate Degree. But irrespective of the kind 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 so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Bethel MN.