Medical Assistant Night School North Palm Beach FL - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training Program near North Palm Beach Florida

North Palm Beach FL medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near North Palm Beach FL, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? A number of future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely 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 also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with North Palm Beach FL nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their function is to make sure that the North Palm Beach FL clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Based 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 professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

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

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Florida law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Courses

Compared to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of North Palm Beach FL health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in North Palm Beach FL There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent option for students who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized also. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be completed in North Palm Beach FL area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of potential North Palm Beach FL medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained 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). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask North Palm Beach FL medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to North Palm Beach FL with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must explore when assessing schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make certain that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective North Palm Beach FL employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with North Palm Beach FL area health care providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the North Palm Beach health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Getting that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the North Palm Beach FL area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

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

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full time, it’s essential that the school you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near North Palm Beach FL, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near North Palm Beach Florida?

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

North Palm Beach, Florida

North Palm Beach is an incorporated village in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,015 at the 2010 census. The village won an award from the National Association of Home Builders as best planned community of 1956. The North Palm Beach Country Club is home to a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course.

In 1954 for $5.5 million John D. MacArthur bought 2,600 acres (11 km2) of land in northern Palm Beach County that had been owned originally by Harry Seymour Kelsey and later by Sir Harry Oakes. The land included most of today's North Palm Beach as well as Lake Park, Palm Beach Gardens and Palm Beach Shores.[5] MacArthur then began developing what is now North Palm Beach, which sat on former mangrove swamps and farm land. The area was punctuated only by Monet Road and Johnson Dairy Road to the north and south and US 1 and Prosperity Farms Road to the east and west.

Full-scale development and incorporation as a village occurred nearly simultaneously in 1956, with extensive dredging creating waterfront cul-de-sacs, and the development of a new east-west artery, Lighthouse Drive, connecting Old Dixie Highway and the newly aligned US 1. US 1 was widened and became the main office and civic corridor. Sir Harry Oakes' castle-like home on US 1 became the clubhouse for the North Palm Beach Country Club, which is located on the village island surrounded by the Inter-coastal Waterway reached by three bridges Lighthouse Drive bridge to the West, the Earmon River bridge to the south, and the Parker drawbridge to the north.

Select the Right Medical Assistant Program North Palm Beach FL

North Palm Beach FL medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether 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 obtain the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Night School. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure 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 gratifying career as a medical assistant in North Palm Beach FL.