Medical Assistant Course Requirements Tinley Park IL

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Tinley Park Illinois

Tinley Park IL medical assistant checking pulseNow that you have decided to join the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Tinley Park IL, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? Most potential students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You might decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included several questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Tinley Park IL nursing home patientThe role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their function is ensure that the Tinley Park IL clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

  • Completing insurance forms and filing claims
  • Setting and verifying appointments
  • Weighing and taking patients vital signs
  • Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
  • Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are authorized to under Illinois law, some opt 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) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Courses

In contrast to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Tinley Park IL health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about 1 year to finish, a few 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 obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Tinley Park ILThere are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good choice for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Tinley Park IL area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education might be the ideal option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Tinley Park IL medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably the most highly regarded 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. Other certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Tinley Park IL medical assistant programsBefore you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to determine which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some potential students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Tinley Park IL with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must examine when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to verify that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education 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 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Tinley Park IL employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Tinley Park IL area health care providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students build relationships within the Tinley Park healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Landing that first job may be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Tinley Park IL area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

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 likely to furnish greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s essential that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Tinley Park IL, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Tinley Park Illinois?

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

Tinley Park, Illinois

Tinley Park is a village located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Will County. The population was 56,703 at the 2010 census.[4] It is one of the fastest growing suburbs south of Chicago. In 2009, Tinley Park was selected by BusinessWeek[5] as the best place to raise a family in America. In 2017, Tinley Park was listed as one of the 50 safest cities in America.[6]

Settlement of the area which now comprises Tinley Park began in the 1820s by emigrants from the Eastern United States. German settlers became predominant in area by the 1840s, and the village was originally established in 1853 as "Bremen". Irish, English, Scottish, Canadian, and other American settlers were also common in the area.[7]

In the late 19th century, railroads expanded rapidly, and the village happened to be located on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad line. The influence of the railroad on Bremen was so great that, in 1890, its name was changed to Tinley Park in honor of the village's first railroad station agent, Samuel Tinley, Sr. Even the village's official incorporation took place at the train depot on June 27, 1892.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Training Tinley Park IL

Tinley Park IL medical assistant studentIt’s important to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Course Requirements. 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, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Tinley Park IL.

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