Medical Assistant Associate Degree Miami AZ

How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Miami Arizona

Miami AZ medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Miami AZ, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Most prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You may decide to look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Miami AZ nursing home patientThe duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their role is ensure that the Miami AZ clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work run successfully. Based 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 responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

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

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

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Miami AZ health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually 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 earn an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with technical 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 frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. 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 related field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Miami AZThere are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent choice for those who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened also. But keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Miami AZ area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the right choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a position after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Many possible Miami AZ medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. 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 sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Miami AZ medical assistant programsBefore you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you must determine which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Miami AZ with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when researching programs. To help 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 choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make sure that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 either of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Miami AZ employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and receive 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 receive a broader education that will take about 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the schools you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Miami AZ area healthcare providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also assist students build relationships within the Miami health care community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Landing that very first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Miami AZ area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before enrolling in a college to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the program you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Miami AZ, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Miami Arizona?

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

Miami, Arizona

Miami (Western Apache: Goshtłʼish Tú[4]) is a town in Gila County, Arizona, United States. Miami is a classic Western copper boom-town. Miami's old downtown has been partly renovated, and the Bullion Plaza Museum features the cultural, mining and ranching history of the Miami area.

Miami is adjacent to Globe, and near the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. Miami, Globe, and the unincorporated areas nearby (including Inspiration, Claypool and Central Heights-Midland City) are commonly called Globe-Miami. The town is located on the northeastern slope of the Pinal Mountains, and is surrounded (except to the east) by the Tonto National Forest. It is located on U.S. Routes 60 and 70, and is served by the Arizona Eastern Railway.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 1,936 people, 754 households, and 493 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,008.0 people per square mile (778.6/km²). There were 930 housing units at an average density of 964.6 per square mile (374.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.74% White, 1.03% Black or African American, 1.45% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 20.40% from other races, and 2.27% from two or more races. 54.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant College Miami AZ

Miami AZ medical assistant studentIt’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Associate Degree. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Miami AZ.

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