Online Medical Assistant Programs Higley AZ

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School near Higley Arizona

Higley AZ medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Higley AZ, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Most future students begin by evaluating 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 important factors also. You may choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have included several questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Higley AZ nursing home patientThe duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their duty is to make sure that the Higley AZ hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

  • Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
  • Scheduling and verifying appointments
  • Taking vital signs and weighing patients
  • Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
  • Giving general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Arizona law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and earn 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 many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Higley AZ health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options available for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally 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 obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Higley AZThere are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good option for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be completed in Higley AZ area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your education may be the best option for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve 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 a good choice for graduates who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing a job after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Higley AZ medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Higley AZ medical assistant programsBefore you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Higley AZ with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should examine when researching programs. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the school you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Higley AZ employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design 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 reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’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 basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose 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 choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are considering offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Higley AZ area medical providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the Higley medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Finding that first job may be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Higley AZ area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a program to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the program you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Higley AZ, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will still need to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Higley Arizona?

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

Higley Unified School District

The Higley Unified School District #60, abbreviated HUSD #60 is a school district in Gilbert, Arizona.[1] The school district serves portions of Gilbert and Queen Creek. It is one of Arizona's fastest growing school districts, with modest continued growth despite the downturn in the economy at the end of the 2000s (decade). The District owns eight elementary schools and two high schools. In August 2013, the district opened two new middle schools and all other elementary schools that hosted grades K-8 went down to K-6.

The Higley district was incorporated in 1909 with a territory far larger than its current size, but most of the land was transferred to other Valley school districts over the years. For instance, the Queen Creek Unified School District was carved out of the Higley district in 1947.[2]Higley Elementary School was the only school in the district for the next 53 years. The district's high school students went to Gilbert Public Schools' high schools. As the Valley expanded, Larry Likes, then-superintendent of the district, brought it through an era of suburbia swallowing the local farmland. It was not long before the growth of the 1990s and 2000s caught up to the district's 24-square-mile (62 km2) service area. In 1999, the district legally unified; in 2000, it opened Coronado Elementary School, its first new school in decades; in 2001, Higley High School opened its doors; four years later, it opened up Gateway Pointe Elementary School, then a year later, it opened Cortina Elementary School; another year later, further growth induced the opening of Williams Field High School. In the spring of 2008, Higley became the first district in Arizona to receive K-12 accreditation by the AdvancED/North Central Accreditation Team. Graduating Higley seniors were offered $2.7 million in academic and athletic scholarships.[3]

The district opened two middle schools (Cooley Middle School and Sossaman Middle School) to better prepare 7th and 8th grade students for high school and to alleviate projected capacity issues at its elementary schools.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Course Higley AZ

Higley AZ medical assistant studentIt’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, for example 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 Online Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Higley AZ.

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