Medical Assistant Certification Great Falls VA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Great Falls Virginia

Great Falls VA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Great Falls VA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal 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 extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You might choose to research several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Great Falls VA nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their function is to make sure that the Great Falls VA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work operate successfully. 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 responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Virginia law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the choices 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

Compared to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Great Falls VA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided 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 classes. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Great Falls VA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good option for individuals who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue to work full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be completed in Great Falls VA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your education may be the ideal option for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for individuals who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Many possible Great Falls VA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of 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 examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Great Falls VA medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Great Falls VA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must explore when assessing programs. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to verify that the school you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations 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 one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Great Falls VA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, verify that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Great Falls VA area medical care providers. They are a great method to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Great Falls healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Finding that first job can be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Great Falls VA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Great Falls VA, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Great Falls Virginia?

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

Great Falls, Virginia

Great Falls is located at 38°59′53″N 077°17′18″W / 38.99806°N 77.28833°W / 38.99806; -77.28833 (38.9981653, −77.2883157) at an elevation of 344 feet (105 m).[3][8] Located on Virginia State Route 7 in Northern Virginia, Great Falls is 15 miles (24 km) west-northwest of downtown Washington, D.C. and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) north of Fairfax, the county seat.[9]

Great Falls lies in the Piedmont upland on the right bank of the Potomac River.[10][11] The river forms the northern and eastern border of the CDP, and several of its tributaries flow north and east through the CDP. From north to south, these include Nichols Run, Clarks Branch, and Difficult Run. Difficult Run forms the southeastern border of the CDP. Two of its tributaries, Captain Hickory Run and Piney Run, flow southeast through the southern part of the CDP.[9][11] The Great Falls of the Potomac River, the community's namesake, are on the east side of the CDP.[11]

As a suburb of Washington, D.C., Great Falls is a part of both the Washington Metropolitan Area and the larger Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. It is bordered on all sides by other Washington suburbs, including: Darnestown and Travilah, Maryland to the north, Potomac, Maryland to the east, McLean to the southeast, Wolf Trap to the south, Reston and Dranesville to the southwest, Sterling to the west, and Lowes Island to the northwest.[12]

Pick the Best Medical Assistant Training Program Great Falls VA

Great Falls VA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Certification. But regardless 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, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Great Falls VA.