How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training School near Collinsville Virginia
Now that you have decided to enter the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Collinsville VA, it’s time to choose 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 best one? Most prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues also. You may want to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.
The Role of Medical Assistants
The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Collinsville VA hospitals, clinics 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 tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Providing general support during exams and procedures
While medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Virginia law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the options 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 Programs
Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Collinsville 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 two options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, 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 option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Medical Assistant Online Classes
There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are a good choice for individuals who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced also. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Collinsville VA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for individuals who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Some potential Collinsville VA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs
Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you must determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Collinsville VA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should explore when assessing schools. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several great reasons to verify that the program you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive 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 Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Collinsville VA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.
Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Collinsville VA area medical care providers. They are a great way to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Collinsville health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Service Offered? Finding that first job can be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Collinsville VA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a school to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the program you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Collinsville VA, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also need to schedule all internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the policy 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 Collinsville Virginia?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Collinsville VA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Collinsville, Virginia
Collinsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Henry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,335 at the 2010 census, which was down from the 7,777 reported in 2000. It is part of the Martinsville Micropolitan Statistical Area. Collinsville is also where the administration building and county courthouse of Henry County are located (though nearby Martinsville - an independent city which is not technically part of the county - is usually identified as the county seat).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20.4 km²), of which, 7.9 square miles (20.4 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.25%) is water.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 7,777 people, 3,466 households, and 2,197 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 988.1 people per square mile (381.5/km²). There were 3,758 housing units at an average density of 477.5/sq mi (184.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.84% White, 11.28% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 1.98% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.77% of the population.
Choose the Right Medical Assistant Course Collinsville VA
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to begin 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 right information on available programs prior to 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 addressed in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Prerequisites. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Collinsville VA.
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