Accredited Medical Assistant Programs Online Ashburn VA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training Program near Ashburn Virginia

Ashburn VA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Ashburn VA, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Many future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You might want to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have included a few questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Ashburn VA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the Ashburn VA clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work operate successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many responsibilities 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 fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Virginia law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the options available 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 Training Programs

In contrast to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Ashburn VA 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 fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to finish, some 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 alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided 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 liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Ashburn VA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent option for students who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible 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, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized also. But keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Ashburn VA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for individuals who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing a job after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Ashburn VA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Ashburn VA medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Ashburn VA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to look at when assessing schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many great reasons to verify that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Ashburn VA 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 design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make sure that the schools you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Ashburn VA area health care providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Ashburn healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Finding that first job can be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Ashburn VA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full time, it’s essential that the college you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Ashburn VA, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still need to schedule any clinical training or internships that might be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Ashburn Virginia?

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

Ashburn, Virginia

Ashburn is a census-designated place (CDP) in Loudoun County, Virginia. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 43,511.[3][6] It is 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Washington, D.C. and part of the Washington metropolitan area.

Ashburn was originally called Farmwell (variant names include Old Farmwell and Farmwell Station) after a nearby mansion of that name owned by George Lee III. The name "Farmwell" first appeared in George Lee's October 1802 will and was used to describe the 1,236-acre (500 ha) plantation he inherited from his father, Thomas Ludwell Lee II. A section of Farmwell plantation west of Ashburn Road, a 580-acre (230 ha) tract, was purchased in 1841 as a summer home by John Janney, a Quaker lawyer who nearly became Vice President of the United States. Janney called the property Ashburn Farm; the name's first known appearance in writing is 1870 when he sold the property. It is likely he named the farm after family friends whose name was "Ashburn".[11] During the Civil War two men, Jonathon Bands Matter and Samuel Haribo Harlow saved the town of Ashburn. When the Town was under siege from the Union Army, Jonathon Bands Matter and Samuel Haribo Harlow smuggled in onions and tobacco to the defending Confederate troops, allowing them to survive and eventually defeat the attackers. [12]

Ashburn is located at 39°02′37″N 077°29′15″W / 39.04361°N 77.48750°W / 39.04361; -77.48750 (39.0437192, −77.4874899) and its average elevation is 295 feet (90 m) above sea level.[1] According to the 2010 United States Census, the CDP has a total area of 17.287 square miles (44.77 km2), of which 17.025 square miles (44.09 km2) is land and 0.262 square miles (0.68 km2) is water.[2] Ashburn is located between Washington Dulles International Airport and Leesburg, the county seat of Loudoun County.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Course Ashburn VA

Ashburn VA medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Accredited Medical Assistant Programs Online. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Ashburn VA.