How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Polkton North Carolina
Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Polkton NC, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? A number of potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You might choose to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.
The Role of Medical Assistants
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Polkton NC hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work run successfully. 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 giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
- Scheduling and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Giving basic support during examinations and procedures
Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are authorized to under North Carolina law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the choices 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
Unlike most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Polkton NC health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 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 generally take about a year to finish, 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 alternative 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 extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical 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 similar field.
Online Medical Assistant Classes
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good alternative for individuals who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Polkton NC area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your education might be the ideal option for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Polkton NC medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs
Prior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Polkton NC with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must look at when evaluating schools. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to verify that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 either of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Polkton NC employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are looking at provide the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Polkton NC area medical providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Polkton healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Service Offered? Getting that initial job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Polkton NC area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Small 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 practical, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a college to observe 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 college while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the school you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Polkton NC, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, find out what the policy 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 Polkton North Carolina?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Polkton NC area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Polkton, North Carolina
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,195 people, 297 households, and 206 families residing in the town. The population density was 438.5 people per square mile (169.0/km²). There were 336 housing units at an average density of 123.3/sq mi (47.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 56.32% African American, 40.08% White, 1.34% Asian, 1.26% Native American, 0% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.
There were 297 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the town, the population was spread out with 18.7% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 42.5% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 185.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 217.3 males.
Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant College Polkton NC
It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Course Requirements. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Polkton NC.
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