Certified Medical Assistant Career Spring Lake NC - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Spring Lake North Carolina

Spring Lake NC medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Spring Lake NC, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? A number of prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You might choose to look into several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have included several questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Spring Lake NC nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their function is to make sure that the Spring Lake NC clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under North Carolina law, some prefer to specialize in a particular 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

In contrast to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Spring Lake 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 2 options available for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical element requiring 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Spring Lake NC There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent alternative for students who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized also. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be carried out in Spring Lake NC area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the ideal option for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for individuals who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Spring Lake NC medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and arguably 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 exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Spring Lake NC medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Spring Lake NC with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must look at when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several good reasons to verify that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete 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 one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Spring Lake NC employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose 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 about one year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about two years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the schools you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Spring Lake NC area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Spring Lake healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Finding that very first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Spring Lake NC area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, 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 can be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a couple of classes before enrolling in a college to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the college you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Spring Lake NC, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Spring Lake North Carolina?

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

Spring Lake, North Carolina

The current name of the town first appeared around 1923 when Arthur Priddy opened the Spring Lake service station in relation to the lake (Spring Lake Pond) that ran beside the rail line. Previously, the area was called "Clayton Cut", due to the pathway cut that ran through the area where the railroad later resided, and also "Prince's Siding", after a man named Prince who owned a sawmill on this land.

Spring Lake is located in northwestern Cumberland County at 35°10′39″N 78°58′32″W / 35.17750°N 78.97556°W / 35.17750; -78.97556 (35.177593, -78.975501).[9] It is bordered to the south by the city of Fayetteville, the Cumberland County seat, to the west by Hoke and Moore counties, and to the north by Harnett County. Large portions of the town limits are occupied by Pope Air Force Base and parts of Fort Bragg.

North Carolina Highways 87 and 24 run concurrently through the town, leading south 11 miles (18 km) to downtown Fayetteville. NC 87 leads north 26 miles (42 km) to Sanford, while NC 24 runs northwest 31 miles (50 km) to Carthage. North Carolina Highway 210 leads northeast 18 miles (29 km) to Lillington and southeast as Murchison Road 10 miles (16 km) to downtown Fayetteville.

Pick the Best Medical Assistant College Spring Lake NC

Spring Lake NC medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper 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 lifetime career, you need to get the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized agency, such as 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 Certified Medical Assistant Career. 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, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Spring Lake NC.