Registered Medical Assistant Certification Felton DE - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Felton Delaware

Felton DE medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Felton DE, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many potential students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors also. You might decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” 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 Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Felton DE nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their role is ensure that the Felton DE clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work operate efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

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

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are authorized to under Delaware law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices 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 Training

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Felton DE health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two options available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. 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 related field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Felton DE There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good alternative for those who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced also. Just keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be carried out in Felton DE area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the right choice for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to attain 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 an excellent option for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Felton DE medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Felton DE medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Felton DE with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should look at when assessing schools. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to confirm that the program you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Felton 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 create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Felton DE area medical care providers. They are a great way to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students build relationships within the Felton health care community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Getting that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Felton DE area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also signifies 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 instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a program to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Felton DE, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Felton Delaware?

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

Rebecca Latimer Felton

Rebecca Ann Latimer Felton (June 10, 1835 – January 24, 1930) was an American writer, lecturer, reformer, and politician who became the first woman to serve in the United States Senate, though only serving for one day.[1][2] She was the most prominent woman in Georgia in the Progressive Era, and was honored by appointment to the Senate. She was sworn in November 21, 1922, and served just 24 hours. At 87 years, nine months, and 22 days old, she was the oldest freshman senator to enter the Senate. To date, she is also the only woman to have served as a Senator from Georgia. Her husband William Harrell Felton was a member of the United States House of Representatives and Georgia House of Representatives and she ran his campaigns. She was a prominent society woman; an advocate of prison reform, women's suffrage and educational modernization; a white supremacist and slave owner; and one of the few prominent women who spoke in favor of lynching. Bartley reports that by 1915 she "was championing a lengthy feminist program that ranged from prohibition to equal pay for equal work."[3]

Felton was born in Decatur, Georgia on June 10, 1835. She was the daughter of Charles Latimer, a prosperous planter, merchant, general store owner. Charles was a Maryland native who moved to DeKalb County in the 1820s, and his wife, Eleanor Swift Latimer, was from Morgan, Georgia. Felton was the oldest of four children; her sister, Mary Latimer, also became prominent in women's reforms in the early 20th century. When she was 15, her father sent her to live with relatives in the town of Madison where she attended a private school within a local Presbyterian church. She then went on to attend Madison Female College, from which she received a classical liberal arts education.[4] She graduated at the top of her class at age 17 in 1852.[5]

In October of 1853, she married Dr. William Harrell Felton at her home and moved to live with him on his plantation just north of Cartersville, Georgia. She gave birth to five children, one daughter and four sons. Only one, Howard Erwin Felton, survived childhood. In the aftermath of the Civil War, their plantation was destroyed. Because they were now unable to rely on slave labor as a means of producing income, Dr. Felton returned to farming as a way to earn income until there was enough money to open a school. Felton and her husband opened Felton Academy in Cartersville, where she and her husband both taught.[6]

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Course Felton DE

Felton DE medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Registered Medical Assistant Certification. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Felton DE.