What Can A Certified Medical Assistant Do Fairfax Station VA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training Program near Fairfax Station Virginia

Fairfax Station VA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Fairfax Station VA, it’s time to select a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? A number of prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You might want to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that task, 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 briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Fairfax Station VA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their duty is to make sure that the Fairfax Station VA clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Virginia law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and earn 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 Education

In contrast to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Fairfax Station VA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually 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 ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a practical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. 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.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Fairfax Station VA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who might not have the 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 to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened as well. Just bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Fairfax Station VA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the right choice for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Fairfax Station VA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of 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 take the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Fairfax Station VA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating 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 from home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Fairfax Station VA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to explore when researching programs. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many great reasons to confirm that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Fairfax Station VA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing 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 eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to obtaining 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, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Fairfax Station VA area healthcare providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students build relationships within the Fairfax Station medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Getting that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Fairfax Station VA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication 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 offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a school to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Fairfax Station VA, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Fairfax Station Virginia?

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

Fairfax Station, Virginia

Fairfax Station is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.[1] The population was 12,030 at the 2010 census.[2] Fairfax Station is an affluent community in Northern Virginia; its center is located 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Washington, D.C.

Fairfax Station is located in western Fairfax County, between Clifton to the west, Burke to the east, and the city of Fairfax to the north. The original community of Fairfax Station is located in the eastern part of the CDP, where State Route 123 (Ox Road) crosses the Norfolk Southern Railway line. State Route 286, the Fairfax County Parkway, curves through the center of the CDP, leading northwest to Fair Lakes and southeast to Newington.

Population densities range from 200 to 500 per square mile (77 to 193 per square kilometer) in the northern, southern, and western portions of the CDP, to between 1,600 and 2,200 per square mile (584 to 849 per square kilometer) in the center and eastern portions.

Select the Right Medical Assistant School Fairfax Station VA

Fairfax Station VA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in What Can A Certified Medical Assistant Do. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Fairfax Station VA.