How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Stidham Oklahoma
Once you have decided to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Stidham OK, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Many prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You might choose to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have provided some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.
The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant
The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their function is ensure that the Stidham OK hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and filing claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures
Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Oklahoma law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the choices 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 Programs
Compared to most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Stidham OK health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Online Medical Assistant Schools
There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good choice for individuals who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened also. Just bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Stidham OK area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the ideal choice for you. Between 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 earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for those who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Stidham OK medical employers simply will not hire 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) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.
Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the process 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 Stidham OK with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to explore when researching schools. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to ensure that the school you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Stidham OK employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
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. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically 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, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make certain that the colleges you are looking at provide the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Stidham OK area health care providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Stidham medical community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Help Offered? Finding that initial job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Stidham OK area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a program to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Stidham OK, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Stidham Oklahoma?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Stidham OK area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Murder of Brian Stidham
David Brian Stidham (August 13, 1967 – October 5, 2004)[1] was a pediatric ophthalmologist stabbed to death in Catalina Foothills, Arizona as the result of a murder-for-hire plot that stemmed from a colleague's professional jealousy.[2] Bradley Alan Schwartz, also a pediatric ophthalmologist, and Ronald Bruce Bigger, a hitman, were arrested and convicted for the murder.[3][4]
Stidham was born and raised in Longview, Texas, the son of Mack and Joyce Stidham.[3][5] Stidham began attending Harvard Medical School in 1990 and graduated in 1993. He then moved to Dallas, Texas where he entered a residency program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School's internal medicine department. A year later he switched to ophthamology. While in Dallas, he met and began dating his neighbor, Daphne Herding,[5] whom he eventually married in a garden ceremony in 1997.[6] The couple moved to Indianapolis where Stidham undertook a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at Indiana University.[5][6] In 1998, they returned to Texas when Stidham joined the faculty at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Their first child, Alexandre Brian, was born in Houston in 2000. Their daughter, Catherine Elizabeth, was born later in Tucson in 2003.[5]
In 2001, Stidham answered an ad Bradley Schwartz had placed in a trade journal seeking someone to care for the pediatric patients in his Tucson ophthalmology practice,[6] Arizona Specialty Eye Care.[7] Stidham was officially hired in November 2001 partly as a way to provide added support to Schwartz's booming business.[3] Other reports suggest that Schwartz was planning to open a plastic surgery practice[8] or, at least, another office on the north side of the city. Stidham was meant to take over the pediatric ophthalmology aspect of Schwartz's business.[9] In December 2001, one month after Stidham joined the practice, the DEA raided the office and Schwartz was indicted on 77 counts of illegally obtaining prescription medicine by a federal grand jury. This spurred Stidham to create his own Tucson-area practice.[5]
Pick the Right Medical Assistant Course Stidham OK
It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Regardless if 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 acquire the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant School Online Accredited. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Stidham OK.
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