Certified Medical Assistant Career Ocoee FL - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training School near Ocoee Florida

Ocoee 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 Ocoee FL, it’s time to select a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Most potential 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 may decide to look into several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Ocoee FL nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their job is to make sure that the Ocoee FL hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Florida law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices available 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

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Ocoee FL health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two choices offered for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 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 general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Ocoee FL There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good alternative 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 a particularly good choice for students who continue working full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online schools 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 keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be performed in Ocoee FL area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for individuals who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Ocoee FL medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Ocoee FL medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Ocoee FL 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 issues that you should look at when researching schools. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the program you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete 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 school is not accredited by either 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 assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Ocoee FL employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to select a program targeting 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 ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Ocoee FL area medical providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Ocoee healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Landing that first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Ocoee FL area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare 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 personal 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 instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s important that the program you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Ocoee FL, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that might be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Ocoee Florida?

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

Ocoee, Florida

Ocoee is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 35,579.[7] It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

In the mid-1850s, Dr. J.D. Starke, stricken with malaria, led a group of slaves, similarly stricken, to the north side of an open pine wooded lake that provided clear and clean water to avoid further malaria outbreaks. The camp built by the group provided a base of operations from which to commute during the day to work the fields near Lake Apopka and rest at night. As the camp grew into a village, it took the name Starke Lake, a name the lake upon which the group settled bears to this day. The city's population increased further after the American Civil War as confederate soldiers and their families settled into the area, including Captain Bluford Sims and General William Temple Withers who wintered at the location.[8] Captain Sims received a land grant for a 74-acre parcel to the west of Starke Lake in what is now the downtown portion of Ocoee on October 5, 1883.[9] In 1886, Captain Sims, along with a group of original settlers, led an effort to have the town platted and changed the name to Ocoee, after a river he grew up near in Tennessee.[9]Ocoee is a Cherokee Indian word anglicized from uwagahi, meaning "apricot vine place"[10] and this inspired the choice of the city's flower.[11]

Bluford Sims began groundbreaking work in budding wild orange trees while in Ocoee. His commercial citrus nursery was the first in the United States in Ocoee, supplying many other groves in Florida with their first trees as well as shipping young citrus trees to California.[10] The construction of the Florida Midland Railroad in the 1880s spurred growth in the area and many more settlers moved in.[11]

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant School Ocoee FL

Ocoee FL medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will provide the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Career. 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 in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Ocoee FL.