How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training School near Atlanta Texas
Once you have made a decision to enter the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Atlanta TX, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the best one? Most future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You might choose 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 program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have furnished several questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.
The Duties of Medical Assistants
The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their job is ensure that the Atlanta TX clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals 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:
- Filling out 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
- Providing general support during examinations and procedures
While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are qualified to under Texas law, some opt 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Medical Assistant Courses
Compared to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Atlanta TX health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about a year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Medical Assistant Online Colleges
There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good choice for those who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. But keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be performed in Atlanta TX area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your education might be the ideal choice for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing a job after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Atlanta TX medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. 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 have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you must determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many potential students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Atlanta TX with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should examine when researching schools. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make certain that the program you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to 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 program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Atlanta TX employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods 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 essentially two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Atlanta TX area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Atlanta medical community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Landing that first job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Atlanta TX area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.
How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indication of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a college to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full time, it’s essential that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Atlanta TX, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Atlanta Texas?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Atlanta TX area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Atlanta, Texas
Atlanta was established in 1871 with the building of the Texas and Pacific Railway and was named for Atlanta, Georgia, former home of many early settlers. This area of Texas had been settled by planters who brought enslaved African Americans with them to work the land. A post office was opened in 1871.
By 1885 the community had 1,500 residents, who had founded three white and two black churches, two schools, a bank, several sawmills, a number of general stores, and a weekly newspaper, the Citizens' Journal. Lumbering was the chief industry. The lumber boom reached its peak around 1890, when the population was 1,764. When the community was incorporated in 1929, it had 1,900 residents and 105 businesses.
The onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s forced many businesses to close, and in 1936 Atlanta had 85 rated businesses. The opening of the Rodessa oilfield in 1935, however, helped mitigate the worst effects of the Depression. By 1940 the town had modern canneries, lumber mills, wholesale houses, a brick plant, a hospital, and a population of 2,453. Subsequently, Atlanta grew steadily, topping the 4,000 mark for the first time in the early 1960s. In 1990 the population was 6,118. By 2000 the population had dropped to 5,745. Principal industries include farming, forestry, oil, and tourism.
Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant School Atlanta TX
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning 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 obtain the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long Does It Take To Be A Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend 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 compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Atlanta TX.
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