Tag Archives: Top Accredited Medical Assistant Programs Lewes DE 19958

Medical Assistant Accreditation Lewes DE

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training School near Lewes Delaware

Lewes DE medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Lewes DE, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? Most future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You may want to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects 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 “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Lewes DE nursing home patientThe duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is ensure that the Lewes DE hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers where they work run efficiently. 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 tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

  • Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
  • Scheduling and confirming appointments
  • Weighing and taking patients vital signs
  • Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
  • Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Delaware law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Unlike most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Lewes DE health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Lewes DEThere are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent alternative for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened also. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be carried out in Lewes DE area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the right choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for those who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Lewes DE medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Lewes DE medical assistant programsPrior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Lewes DE with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should look at when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several great reasons to make certain that the school you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 either of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Lewes DE employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Lewes DE area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the Lewes healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Finding that initial job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Lewes DE area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Lewes DE, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Lewes Delaware?

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

Lewes, Delaware

Lewes (/ˈluːɪs/ LOO-iss) is an incorporated city on the Delaware Bay in eastern Sussex County, Delaware. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747.[6] Along with neighboring Rehoboth Beach, Lewes is one of the principal cities of Delaware's rapidly growing Cape Region. The city lies within the Salisbury, Maryland–Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lewes proudly claims to be "The First Town in The First State."

Lewes was the site of the first European settlement in Delaware, a whaling and trading post that Dutch settlers founded on June 3, 1631 and named Zwaanendael (Swan Valley).[7] The colony had a short existence, as a local tribe of Lenape Native Americans wiped out the 32 settlers in 1632.

The area remained rather neglected by the Dutch until, under the threat of annexation from the English colony of Maryland, the city of Amsterdam made a grant of land at the Hoernkills (the area around Cape Henlopen, near the current town of Lewes) to a group of Mennonites for settlement in 1662. A total of 35 men were to be included in the settlement, led by a Pieter Cornelisz Plockhoy of Zierikzee and funded by a sizable loan from the city to get them established. The settlement was established in 1663, but the timing of the settlement was terrible: In 1664, the English wrested New Netherland from the Dutch, and they had the settlement destroyed with British reports indicating that “not even a nail” was left there.[8]

Choose the Best Medical Assistant School Lewes DE

Lewes DE medical assistant studentIt’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning 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 obtain the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Accreditation. 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, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Lewes DE.

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