Medical Assistant Course Bend OR - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Bend Oregon

Bend OR medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Bend OR, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the right one? A number of future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You might decide to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on 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 colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished a few 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 function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Bend OR nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their function is ensure that the Bend OR clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work operate successfully. Based 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 giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals 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 confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Oregon 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) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Bend OR health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about a year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are created 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 usually two year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Bend OR There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good alternative for individuals who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online schools 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 remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be carried out in Bend OR area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your education might be the right choice for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for those who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing a position after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Bend OR medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of 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, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Bend OR medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Bend OR with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must examine when researching schools. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Bend OR employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, verify that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Bend OR area medical providers. They are a great method to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Bend health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Getting that very first job may be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Bend OR area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher 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 Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the college you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Bend OR, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Bend Oregon?

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

Bend, Oregon

Bend is a city in, and the county seat of, Deschutes County, Oregon, United States.[8] It is the principal city of the Bend, Oregon, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population density of that area. Bend recorded a population of 76,693 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census,[9] up from 52,029 at the 2000 census. The estimated population of the city as of 2016 is 91,122.[3] Bend's metro population was estimated at 165,954 as of July 1, 2013. The Bend MSA is the fifth largest metropolitan area in Oregon.

Bend is located on the eastern edge of the Cascade Range along the Deschutes River. Here the Ponderosa Pine forest transitions into the high desert, characterized by arid land, junipers, sagebrush, and bitter-brush. Originally a crossing point on the river, settlement began in the early 1900s. Bend was incorporated as a city in 1905. Economically, it started as a logging town but is now identified as a gateway for many outdoor sports, including mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, rock climbing, white-water rafting, skiing, paragliding, and golf. In 2015, Men's Journal ranked Bend as one of The 10 Best Places to Live Now.[10] Bend is also home to the last remaining Blockbuster LLC store in the United States.[11]

The name Bend was derived from "Farewell Bend", the designation used by early pioneers to refer to the location along the Deschutes River where the town was eventually platted, one of the few fordable points along the river.

Choose the Right Medical Assistant Program Bend OR

Bend OR medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized 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. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Bend OR.