9 Month Medical Assistant Program Longwood FL - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Program near Longwood Florida

Longwood FL medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Longwood FL, it’s time to select a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? A number of future students begin by checking out 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 critical issues also. You might want to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Longwood FL nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is ensure that the Longwood FL hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work operate successfully. Depending 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 giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Florida law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Longwood FL health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn 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 prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred 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 Longwood FL There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good alternative for individuals who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced also. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be carried out in Longwood FL area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your training might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Longwood FL medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Longwood FL medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Longwood FL with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must explore when researching programs. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many good reasons to verify that the school you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must 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 either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Longwood FL employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Longwood FL area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also assist students build relationships within the Longwood health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Getting that very first job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Longwood FL area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention 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 teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before selecting a college to witness 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 to work full-time, it’s important that the college you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Longwood FL, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still have 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 emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Longwood Florida?

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

Longwood, Florida

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.6 square miles (15 km2), of which 5.3 square miles (14 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (5.17%) is water. The city has two of the oldest trees in America within its borders: The Senator and Lady Liberty.

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 13,657 people and 5,244 households in the city. The population density was 2438.8 inhabitants per square mile (941.9/km²). There were 5,680 housing units at an average density of 1014.3 per square mile (391.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.10% White, 4.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.8% of the population.

There were 5,244 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.09.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Course Longwood FL

Longwood FL medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal 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 right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in 9 Month Medical Assistant Program. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend 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 so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Longwood FL.