9 Month Medical Assistant Program Fletcher NC - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training Program near Fletcher North Carolina

Fletcher NC medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Fletcher NC, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Many future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors also. You may decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have provided 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 role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Fletcher NC nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Fletcher NC hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work run efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under North Carolina law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices offered 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 Education

In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Fletcher NC health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. 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 Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Fletcher NC There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are a good choice for those who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced as well. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Fletcher NC area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education may be the best option for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for those who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Fletcher NC medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Fletcher NC medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Fletcher NC with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you must examine when researching programs. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several great reasons to make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Fletcher NC employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to learn 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 of course you will want to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Fletcher NC area medical providers. They are a great method to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the Fletcher medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Finding that first job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Fletcher NC area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Fletcher NC, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, ask 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 Fletcher North Carolina?

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

Fletcher, North Carolina

Fletcher was first settled in 1795 when Samuel Murray decided to move his family to the mountains of western North Carolina. His family made the difficult journey from South Carolina up the old Howard Gap Road which in areas was little more than an old Indian trail. Samuel decided he wanted to live just east of the location where Howard Gap Road ended which is very close to where Fletcher Community Park is located today. Murray began buying property in what was then the Limestone District of Buncombe County. Eventually he purchased more than 10,000 acres bounded roughly by Cane Creek to the south, the French Broad River to the west, Long Shoals Road to the north and Hooper’s Creek and Burney Mountain to the East.[5] In 1827, Samuel’s son opened the first post office in the Limestone District and the area became known as Murrayville.[6]

Murrayville became a strategic location because it was one of the main way-stations on the Buncombe Turnpike which was built in the early 1800’s. This road quickly became the main passageway for families, farmers, and traders traveling from South Carolina up into Asheville and points north. In 1837, Murrayville was renamed Shufordsville after the newly appointed Postmaster Jacob Rhyne Shuford. Shortly thereafter in 1838, the state of North Carolina formed the last hundred of its counties and Shufordsville was no longer part of Buncombe County but rather part of the newly created Henderson County. Shufordsville continued to slowly grow and changed its name one last time when the town’s namesake, Dr. George Fletcher, became the local postmaster in 1886[6].[5]

Fletcher is located on the northern edge of Henderson County at 35°25′58″N 82°30′24″W / 35.43278°N 82.50667°W / 35.43278; -82.50667 (35.432840, -82.506648).[8] It is bordered to the north by the city of Asheville in Buncombe County. It is bordered to the west by the town of Mills River and to the east by unincorporated Hoopers Creek, both in Henderson County.

Pick the Best Medical Assistant Course Fletcher NC

Fletcher NC medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in 9 Month Medical Assistant Program. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Fletcher NC.