Medical Assistant Schools With Financial Aid Oglethorpe GA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Oglethorpe Georgia

Oglethorpe GA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Oglethorpe GA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You may choose to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Oglethorpe GA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is ensure that the Oglethorpe GA hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

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

While medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Georgia law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

In contrast to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Oglethorpe GA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Oglethorpe GA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good option for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized also. But remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be performed in Oglethorpe GA area medical 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. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting a job after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some possible Oglethorpe GA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Oglethorpe GA medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Oglethorpe GA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should examine when researching programs. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to 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 program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Oglethorpe GA 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 design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, 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 methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones 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 choose a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Oglethorpe GA area medical care providers. They are a great method to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Oglethorpe medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Getting that initial job can be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Oglethorpe GA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a large 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. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before choosing a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full time, it’s essential that the school you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Oglethorpe GA, 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 practical training that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Oglethorpe Georgia?

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

Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia

Fort Oglethorpe is a city predominantly in Catoosa County with some portions in Walker County in the U.S. state of Georgia.[4] As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 9,263.[5] It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is home to Lakeview – Fort Oglethorpe High School.

The United States Army established a cavalry post at the site of Hargrave, Georgia, an unincorporated town situated next to the Chickamauga National Battlefield. The existing settlement was named for a Confederate soldier, William Hamilton Hargrave, who along with his wife Amelia Cecilia Strange-Hargrave owned most of the land in the area. The couple was well known in the 19th century to travellers heading to Ross's Landing on the Tennessee River from LaFayette, Georgia. William Hargrave and other landowners in the area were forced to sell their property to the Army[citation needed] to be used as a base for the 6th Cavalry. The Chickamauga Post established in 1902 by the U.S. Army was later named Fort Oglethorpe after James Oglethorpe, the founder of the Colony of Georgia. During World War I and World War II, the area served as a war-time induction and processing center, and also housed German prisoners of war.[6] Fort Oglethorpe was a major training center for the Women's Army Corps during World War II. The post was declared surplus in 1947 and sold to civilians, forming the nucleus for a city that was incorporated in 1949.[7][8]

Fort Oglethorpe is located in western Catoosa County and northeastern Walker County at 34°56′44″N 85°14′44″W / 34.94556°N 85.24556°W / 34.94556; -85.24556 (34.945683, -85.245653).[9] It is 9 miles (14 km) south of Chattanooga, Tennessee, by U.S. Route 27, which also leads south 18 miles (29 km) to LaFayette, Georgia. The Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park takes up the southern two-thirds of the city's area.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Program Oglethorpe GA

Oglethorpe GA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Schools With Financial Aid. But regardless of the type 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 in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Oglethorpe GA.