How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training Program near Albemarle North Carolina
Once you have decided to join the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Albemarle NC, it’s time to select a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? Most future students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You may decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about 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 schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have included some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.
The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the Albemarle NC clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
- Scheduling and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Giving general support during examinations and procedures
Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under North Carolina law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices available 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 Training Courses
Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Albemarle NC health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about a year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive 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 routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Medical Assistant Online Schools
There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good option for individuals who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit 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 extra benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened also. But keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be completed in Albemarle NC area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training may be the right choice for you. Between 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 earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting a position after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Albemarle NC medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. Once those selections have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Albemarle NC with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when assessing schools. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several good reasons to confirm that the school you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee 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 accepted 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 one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Albemarle NC employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Albemarle NC area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Albemarle medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Landing that first job may be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Albemarle NC area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a few classes before enrolling in a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s essential that the school you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Albemarle NC, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Albemarle North Carolina?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Albemarle NC area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Albemarle, North Carolina
Albemarle (/ˈælbəˌmɑːrl/) is a small city and the county seat of Stanly County, North Carolina.[4] The population was 15,903 in the 2010 Census. Gerald R. "Ronnie" Michael (a former police chief in the city) serves as Mayor and Albemarle has seven-member City Council elected in a combination of at-large and district seats. Albemarle has operated under the Council-Manager form of government since 1962. Michael Ferris has served as City Manager since December 2014 and previously served as Assistant City Manager for nearly two decades. The City Manager is appointed by the City Council, and is responsible for the day-to-day administration of City government. The City's Department Heads report directly to the City Manager, who is also responsible for development and administration of the City's annual budget.
This place-name is derived of the English noble surname Albemarle. According to a 1905 publication by the United States Geologic Survey, based on research by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill history professor Kenip P. Battle, it was named specifically for General George Monk, the first Duke of Albemarle and one of the original proprietors of the town.[5]
The site of modern-day Albemarle was originally peopled by small tribes of hunter-gatherers and mound builders whose artifacts and settlements have been dated back nearly 10,000 years. Large-scale European settlement of the region came in the mid-18th century via two primary waves: immigrants of Dutch, Scots-Irish and German descent moved from Pennsylvania and New Jersey seeking enhanced religious and political tolerance, while immigrants of English backgrounds came to the region from Virginia and the Cape Fear River Basin in Eastern North Carolina.
Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Course Albemarle NC
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re planning to begin 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 prior to 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, confirm that the program you select is accredited by a recognized 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 Where Can I Get My Medical Assistant Certification. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Albemarle NC.
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