How Long To Get Medical Assistant Certification Slocum RI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Slocum Rhode Island

Slocum RI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Slocum RI, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Most future students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors also. You might decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting 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 Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Slocum RI nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their role is ensure that the Slocum RI hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. Depending 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 tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Rhode Island law, some elect 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) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Slocum RI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about one year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics 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 as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Slocum RI There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. 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 solution for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened also. But keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Slocum RI area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the ideal option for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a position after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Slocum RI medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided 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 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Slocum RI medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Slocum RI with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must explore when assessing programs. To help you with that task, below are some 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 a number of good 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 extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged agencies 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 exam. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Slocum RI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to determine 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 obviously you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’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. Obviously programs with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are looking at provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Slocum RI area health care providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Slocum medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Landing that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Slocum RI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Slocum RI, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will also need to schedule all clinical training or internships that might be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Slocum Rhode Island?

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

Samuel Slocum

Samuel Slocum (March 4, 1792 - January 26, 1861), was an American inventor from Poughkeepsie, New York. He was born in Jamestown, RI, son of Peleg Slocum and Anne Dyer Slocum. He was raised in Usquepaugh, RI, a village in South Kingstown, RI, where a Mr. William Lockwood sometime after 1772, first invented the common pin with a head, to keep it from slipping through cloth.[1] Samuel was the 6th of 8 children. He worked as a carpenter before he decided to move to London and become a pin maker. He married Susan Stanton Slocum in 1817 at Richmond, RI, and had three children, Samuel Dyer Slocum, Mary Slocum, and John Stanton Slocum.

A short time later he moved back to the United States, to Poughkeepsie, NY and formed a pin manufacturing company, Slocum and Jillson, which invented a "Machine for Sticking Pins into Paper", which is often believed to be the first stapler. In fact, this patent from September 30, 1841, Patent #2275, is for a device used for packaging pins.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Course Slocum RI

Slocum RI medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate 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 need to get the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long To Get Medical Assistant Certification. 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 supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Slocum RI.