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How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Romeoville Illinois

Romeoville IL medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Romeoville IL, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Many prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors also. You might choose to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have provided several questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Romeoville IL nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Romeoville IL hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Illinois law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the options offered 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 Education

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Romeoville IL health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about a year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a practical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. 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 similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Romeoville IL There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are a good choice for those who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced as well. But keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be carried out in Romeoville IL area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your training might be the ideal choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Romeoville IL medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among 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, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Romeoville IL medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Romeoville IL with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should examine when researching programs. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many good reasons to make certain that the program you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure 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 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Romeoville IL employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to find out 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 example, then obviously you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are looking at provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Romeoville IL area health care providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the Romeoville healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Getting that first job may be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Romeoville IL area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before enrolling in a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the program you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Romeoville IL, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, ask what the protocol 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 Romeoville Illinois?

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

Romeoville, Illinois

Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village is located 26 mi (42 km) southwest of Chicago and is a Chicago Suburb. The population was 39,793 based on US Census Bureau 2015 projections.[4] It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near (I-55) and I-355.

According to the 2010 census, Romeoville has a total area of 18.759 square miles (48.59 km2), of which 18.44 square miles (47.76 km2) (or 98.3%) is land and 0.319 square miles (0.83 km2) (or 1.7%) is water.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau[7], Romeoville is a community of 39,793 people. There are 11,777 households in Romeoville with 8,974 of them being families. The median household income is $71,344.

Choose the Right Medical Assistant College Romeoville IL

Romeoville IL medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re objective is 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 obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend 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 so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Romeoville IL.