How to Pick a Medical Assistant Program near Stroud Oklahoma
Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Stroud OK, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? Many potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You might want to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.
The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their job is to make sure that the Stroud OK clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work operate efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but can also be found working 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
- Setting and confirming appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Providing basic support during examinations and procedures
While medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Oklahoma law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and attain 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 Courses
Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Stroud OK health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about one 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 attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges as well as 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 frequently have a clinical element involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 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 choice for those who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Stroud OK area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training may be the ideal option for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for individuals who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a position after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Stroud OK medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.
Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Stroud OK with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must explore when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several great reasons to make certain that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Stroud OK employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at 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. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Stroud OK area medical care providers. They are a great method to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Stroud healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Finding that very first job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Stroud OK area and ask 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 medical community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.
How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the school you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Stroud OK, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Stroud Oklahoma?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Stroud OK area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Stroud, Oklahoma
Stroud was founded in 1892 and named for James W. Stroud, a developer. Early in its history, Stroud lay in Oklahoma Territory, where alcoholic drinks could be sold legally. Towns close to the boundary between Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory were known as "whiskey towns," and had a reputation as a "wild" town due to its many saloons and other businesses catering to thirsty cowboys and travelers arriving from "dry" Indian Territory. These days were short-lived, however, because Oklahoma statehood in 1907, forced Stroud to become "dry" as well.[4]
During the first decade of the 20th Century, Stroud's economy was based on cotton farming in the surrounding countryside. The population at statehood was 1,312. By 1909, Stroud had two banks, two newspapers, four cotton gins, and a cottonseed-oil mill, but the 1910 census showed population declined to 1,220.[4]
On March 27, 1915 Stroud became the victim of a legendary outlaw: "Henry Starr, along with six other men, decided to rob two banks at the same time... The [Stroud] robbery would prove... disastrous for Henry Starr. Proceeding to rob the Stroud National Bank and the First National Bank, word of the holdup spread quickly and the citizens took up arms against the bandits. Henry and another outlaw named Lewis Estes were wounded and captured in the gun battle. The rest of the gang escaped with $5815...".[5] Henry was sentenced to prison at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, but was paroled after serving only four years.
Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant School Stroud OK
It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, 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 Technical School. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Stroud OK.
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