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How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Sequim Washington

Sequim WA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Sequim WA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? A number of prospective students start 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 location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors also. You may decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask all 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 kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Sequim WA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their job is to make sure that the Sequim WA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending 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 support to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

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

While medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Washington law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and attain 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 Programs

In contrast to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Sequim WA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, 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 acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. 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 similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Sequim WA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good alternative for those who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened also. But remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Sequim WA area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the best option for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Sequim WA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Sequim WA medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Sequim WA with the lowest 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 look at when researching programs. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to ensure that the school you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Sequim WA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about 2 years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, verify that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Sequim WA area health care providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the Sequim healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Getting that first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Sequim WA 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 a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before choosing a college to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the program you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Sequim WA, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol 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 Sequim Washington?

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

Sequim, Washington

Sequim /ˈskwɪm/ ( listen) is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The 2010 census counted a population of 6,606. With the surrounding area, the population is about 28,000. Sequim is located along the Dungeness River near the base of the Olympic Mountains. The population served by the Sequim School District population was over 26,000 in 2018.[5]

Sequim lies within the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and receives on average less than 16 inches (410 mm) of rain per year — about the same as Los Angeles, California — leading it to give itself the nickname of Sunny Sequim. However, the city is relatively close to some of the wettest temperate rainforests of the contiguous United States. This climate anomaly is sometimes called the blue hole of Sequim.[6] Fogs and cool breezes from the Juan de Fuca Strait make Sequim's climate more humid than would be expected from the low average annual precipitation. Some places have surprisingly luxuriant forests dominated by Douglas-fir and western red cedar. Black cottonwood, red alder, bigleaf maple, Pacific madrone, lodgepole pine, and Garry oak can also be large. Historically, much of the area was an open oak-studded prairie supported by somewhat excessively drained gravelly sandy loam soil, though agriculture and development of the Dungeness valley have changed this ecosystem. Most soils under Sequim have been placed in a series that is named after the city.[7] This "Sequim series" is one of the few Mollisols in western Washington and its high base saturation, a characteristic of the Mollisol order, is attributed to the minimal leaching of bases caused by low annual rainfall.[8]

The city and the surrounding area are particularly known for the commercial cultivation of lavender, supported by the unique climate. It makes Sequim the "Lavender Capital of North America", rivaled only in France. The area is also known for its Dungeness crab.

Choose the Best Medical Assistant College Sequim WA

Sequim WA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in What Can A Certified Medical Assistant Do. 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, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Sequim WA.