Medical Assistant Overview Flagstaff AZ

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Program near Flagstaff Arizona

Flagstaff AZ medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Flagstaff AZ, 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 right one? Most future students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You might decide to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have included a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Flagstaff AZ nursing home patientThe function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their role is to make sure that the Flagstaff AZ hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

  • Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
  • Scheduling and confirming appointments
  • Weighing and taking patients vital signs
  • Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
  • Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Arizona law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the choices available 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 Programs

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Flagstaff AZ health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied 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 Flagstaff AZThere are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good choice for those who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced also. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Flagstaff AZ area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training may be the best choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for individuals who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Flagstaff AZ medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Flagstaff AZ medical assistant programsBefore you can start evaluating 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 selections have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Flagstaff AZ with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must look at when assessing programs. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to verify that the program you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must 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 either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Flagstaff AZ employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to find out 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 of course you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Flagstaff AZ area health care providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students establish relationships within the Flagstaff medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Landing that first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Flagstaff AZ area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before choosing a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s important that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Flagstaff AZ, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Flagstaff Arizona?

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

Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff is a city in and the county seat of Coconino County[6] in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2015, the city's estimated population was 70,320.[7] Flagstaff's combined metropolitan area has an estimated population of 139,097. The city is named after a ponderosa pine flagpole made by a scouting party from Boston (known as the "Second Boston Party") to celebrate the United States Centennial on July 4, 1876.[8]

Flagstaff lies near the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau, along the western side of the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the continental United States.[9] Flagstaff is next to Mount Elden, just south of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountain range in the state of Arizona. Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet (3,851 m), is about 10 miles (16 km) north of Flagstaff in Kachina Peaks Wilderness.

Flagstaff's early economy was based on the lumber, railroad, and ranching industries. Today, the city remains an important distribution hub for companies such as Nestlé Purina PetCare, and is home to Lowell Observatory, The U.S. Naval Observatory, the United States Geological Survey Flagstaff Station, and Northern Arizona University. Flagstaff has a strong tourism sector, due to its proximity to Grand Canyon National Park, Oak Creek Canyon, the Arizona Snowbowl, Meteor Crater, and historic Route 66. The city is also a center for medical device manufacturing, since Flagstaff is home to W. L. Gore and Associates.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant College Flagstaff AZ

Flagstaff AZ medical assistant studentIt’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Overview. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Flagstaff AZ.

More Medical Locations in Arizona

  • How Long Is Medical Assistant School Prescott Valley AZ
  • Medical Assistant Certification Online Lake Montezuma AZ
  • Medical Assistant Training Cost Winslow AZ
  • Certified Medical Assistant Program Luke Afb AZ
  • Accredited Medical Assistant Programs Online Pima AZ
  • How To Be A Medical Assistant San Luis AZ
  • Medical Assistant Certification Requirements Seligman AZ
  • How Long Are Medical Assistant Courses Sun City West AZ
  • Become A Certified Medical Assistant Thatcher AZ
  • Top Medical Assistant Programs Eloy AZ
  •  

     

    The location could not be found.

     

    Business Results 1 - 10 of 18

    Flagstaff Family Care Clinic
    8 Reviews
    Doctors
    Phone:
    1501 S Yale St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

    Marzolf James P
    3 Reviews
    General Dentistry
    Phone:
    1419 N Beaver St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

    Crystal Canyon Ear, Nose, Throat & Facial Plastic Surgery
    9 Reviews
    Ear Nose & Throat, Plastic Surgeons
    Phone:
    1340 N Rim Dr, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

    Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center
    17 Reviews
    Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, Laser Eye Surgery/Lasik
    Phone:
    350 North Switzer Canyon Dr, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

    Flagstaff Urgent Care
    4 Reviews
    Urgent Care, Walk-in Clinics
    Phone:
    2700 S Woodlands Village Blvd, Ste 700, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

    Northwoods Medical Center
    4 Reviews
    Internal Medicine
    Phone:
    930 North Switzer Canyon Dr, Ste 202, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

    A Healing Journey Therapeutic Massage
    6 Reviews
    Massage, Massage Therapy
    Phone:
    1300 S Milton Rd, Ste 206, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

    Dee Sickles LMT, MMT - Divinely Nurturing Medical Massage
    1 Reviews
    Massage Therapy, Reflexology, Prenatal/Perinatal Care
    Phone:
    3100 N West St, 200-D, Flagstaff, AZ 86004

    Grand Canyon Clinics
    2 Reviews
    Weight Loss Centers, Naturopathic/Holistic, Sports Medicine
    Phone:
    930 N Switzer Canyon Dr, Ste 104, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

    Concentra Urgent Care
    27 Reviews
    Urgent Care, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy
    Phone:
    1110 E Rt 66, Ste 100, Flagstaff, AZ 86001