Category Archives: Kansas

6 Month Program For Medical Assistant Towanda KS

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School Program near Towanda Kansas

Towanda KS medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Towanda KS, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Many future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You might decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have provided several questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Towanda KS nursing home patientThe responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Towanda KS hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities 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 practices both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

  • Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
  • Scheduling and verifying appointments
  • Weighing and taking patients vital signs
  • Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
  • Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
  • Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Kansas law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

Unlike most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Towanda KS health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about 1 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 typically two year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. 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 Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Towanda KSThere are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent option for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Towanda KS area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your education might be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting employment after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Towanda KS medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. 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 sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Towanda KS medical assistant programsPrior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Towanda KS with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should look at when researching schools. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to verify that the program you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in 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 agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Towanda KS employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to choose a program focused on that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get 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 decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Towanda KS area medical care providers. They are a great means to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Towanda medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Finding that very first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Towanda KS area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual 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 sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Towanda KS, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Towanda Kansas?

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

Towanda, Kansas

In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed a few blocks west of Towanda (immediately west of SW River Valley Rd), running north to south through Butler County, with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).[11][12]

Towanda is located at 37°47′45″N 96°59′58″W / 37.79583°N 96.99944°W / 37.79583; -96.99944 (37.795921, -96.999380),[13] along the Whitewater River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.06 square miles (2.75 km2), all of it land.[2]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 1,450 people, 524 households, and 397 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,367.9 inhabitants per square mile (528.1/km2). There were 577 housing units at an average density of 544.3 per square mile (210.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.3% White, 0.3% African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Program Towanda KS

Towanda KS medical assistant studentIt’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in 6 Month Program For Medical Assistant. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Towanda KS.

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