Medical Assistant Associate Degree Senoia GA

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Program near Senoia Georgia

Senoia GA medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Senoia GA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? A number of potential students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You might choose to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have included several questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Senoia GA nursing home patientThe duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their role is to make sure that the Senoia GA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

  • Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
  • Scheduling and confirming appointments
  • Weighing and taking patients vital signs
  • Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
  • Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are authorized to under Georgia law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options 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 Courses

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Senoia 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 basically two choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about one year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created 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 usually 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Senoia GAThere are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent alternative for those who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced also. Just keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Senoia GA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education may be the best choice for you. With 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, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for those who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Senoia GA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative 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 Schools

Questions to ask Senoia GA medical assistant programsPrior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Senoia GA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should examine when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to make sure that the college you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Senoia GA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Senoia GA area health care providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the Senoia healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Finding that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Senoia GA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a program to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the college you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Senoia GA, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will 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 Senoia Georgia?

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

Senoia, Georgia

Senoia (the historical and local pronunciation is "Se-Noy")[5] is a city located 35 minutes southwest of Atlanta in Coweta County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Its population was 3,307 at the 2010 census.[6] It is also the wealthiest town in the state.[citation needed]

Around 1828, a large number of people traveled from Newberry, South Carolina, in covered wagons, oxcarts, on horseback, and by foot. In the group were preachers, farmers, masons, and most any other occupation of the day. The names read like a current register of the area, since these forerunners have numerous descendants still making their homes in Senoia. In the group from South Carolina were the Atkinsons, Addys, Pages, Youngs, Levells, Shells, Barnes, Falls, Moses and many others. They scattered across the countryside, each trying to find a new start. And find it they did in the rich land of eastern Coweta. Raising cotton, and livestock, the area was an agricultural Utopia.[5]

Senoia is located in southeastern Coweta County at 33°18′7″N 84°33′12″W / 33.30194°N 84.55333°W / 33.30194; -84.55333 (33.301849, -84.553450).[7] It is bordered to the north by Peachtree City in Fayette County.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Senoia GA

Senoia GA medical assistant studentIt’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Associate Degree. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Senoia GA.

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