Certified Medical Assistant Program Bay Minette AL - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Bay Minette Alabama

Bay Minette AL medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Bay Minette AL, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You might choose to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have included some questions that you should ask all 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 type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Bay Minette AL nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their role is ensure that the Bay Minette AL clinics, hospitals and other healthcare 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 practices both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Alabama law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and obtain 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 Training Courses

Compared to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Bay Minette AL health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about one year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at community and junior 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 classes. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare 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 related field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Bay Minette AL There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good option for students who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened also. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be carried out in Bay Minette AL area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training might be the ideal option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing a job after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. Many potential Bay Minette AL medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Bay Minette AL medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Bay Minette AL with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you should look at when evaluating schools. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to ensure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged organizations 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 agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Bay Minette AL employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Bay Minette AL area medical providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Bay Minette medical community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Getting that initial job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Bay Minette AL area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

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 choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Bay Minette AL, make certain that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still have to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Bay Minette Alabama?

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

Bay Minette, Alabama

In the first days of Baldwin County, the town of McIntosh Bluff (now in Mobile County, west of Baldwin County) on the Tombigbee River was the county seat. After being transferred to the town of Blakeley in 1810, the county seat was later moved to the city of Daphne in 1868. In 1900, by an act of the legislature of Alabama, the county seat was authorized for relocation to the city of Bay Minette; however, the city of Daphne resisted relocation. The citizens of Bay Minette moved the county records from Daphne in the middle of the night on October 11–12, 1901[4] and delivered them to the city of Bay Minette - where the Baldwin County seat remains to this day.[5] A mural for the new post office built in 1937 was commissioned by the WPA and painted by Hilton Leech of Bridgeport, Connecticut, to commemorate this event.[4]

In September 2011, the town attempted to enact a program called "Operation Restore Our Community". It would have allowed those convicted of a misdemeanor to substitute imprisonment with mandatory church attendance for one year.[6] However, this program was challenged due to violating separation of church and state, and the program's start was delayed for judicial review.[7] It appears to have been scrapped.

Bay Minette is located near the center of Baldwin County in southern Alabama at 30°53′0″N 87°46′38″W / 30.88333°N 87.77722°W / 30.88333; -87.77722 (30.883446, -87.777183).[8] It is sited on high ground 5 miles (8 km) east of the Mobile River/Tensaw River valley and 6 miles (10 km) west of the Florida border formed by the Perdido River. U.S. Route 31 passes through the center of the city, leading south to Spanish Fort and northeast to Atmore. Interstate 65 passes about 5 miles (8 km) north of the city, with access from exit 34 (State Route 59) and exit 37 (State Route 287).

Select the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Bay Minette AL

Bay Minette AL medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Regardless if you’re planning 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 right information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example 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 Certified Medical Assistant Program. But regardless 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 provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Bay Minette AL.