Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Dunedin FL - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Dunedin Florida

Dunedin FL medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Dunedin FL, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many potential students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean 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 also. You might want to research several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have provided some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Dunedin FL nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their job is ensure that the Dunedin FL hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Florida law, some prefer to specialize in a specific 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 Programs

Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Dunedin FL health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain 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 designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Dunedin FL There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good choice for those who might not have the 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 working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be carried out in Dunedin FL area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the best option for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for those who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Dunedin FL medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among 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 apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Dunedin FL medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Dunedin FL with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you need to look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many great reasons to make sure that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education 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 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 one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Dunedin FL employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program targeting 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 means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Dunedin FL area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students establish relationships within the Dunedin healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Provided? Finding that very first job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Dunedin FL area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide 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 throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Dunedin FL, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still have to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Dunedin Florida?

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

Dunedin, Florida

Dunedin /dəˈniːdɪn/ is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The population was 35,321 at the 2010 census.[5]

Dunedin is home to several beaches, including Dunedin Causeway, Honeymoon Island, and Caladesi Island State Park, which is consistently rated among the best beaches in the world.[6] Dunedin is one of the few open waterfront communities from Sarasota to Cedar Key where buildings do not completely obscure the view of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico beyond; a 1-mile (1.6 km) stretch of Edgewater Drive (also known as Alternate US 19) south of downtown offers views of St. Joseph Sound, Clearwater Beach, and Caladesi Island. Downtown Clearwater and Clearwater Beach are a 6-mile (10 km) drive south on Edgewater.

The downtown business district is notable for its absence of large commercial signage, corporate franchise restaurants or chain retail stores. The Pinellas Trail, a 39-mile-long (63 km) bicycle and pedestrian trail that traverses all of Pinellas County, bisects downtown Dunedin. A large portion of the trail lies on the former roadbed of the Orange Belt Railway, the first railroad in Pinellas County, which arrived in 1888.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant School Dunedin FL

Dunedin FL medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially 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 kind 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 so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Dunedin FL.