National Certified Medical Assistant Jeffersonville IN - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School near Jeffersonville Indiana

Jeffersonville IN medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Jeffersonville IN, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You might decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have provided several questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Jeffersonville IN nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their job is ensure that the Jeffersonville IN hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers where they work operate successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Indiana law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the choices 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 Education

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Jeffersonville IN health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Jeffersonville IN There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent 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 choice for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened as well. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Jeffersonville IN area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the best option for you. Between the online lessons 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 requirement, but is an excellent option for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Jeffersonville IN medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and perhaps 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 be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Jeffersonville IN medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Jeffersonville IN with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many good reasons to make certain that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations 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 one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Jeffersonville IN employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn 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 assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain 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 take approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Jeffersonville IN area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Jeffersonville healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Landing that first job can be a daunting 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 Jeffersonville IN 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 a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Small 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 practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s important that the college you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Jeffersonville IN, make certain 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 any internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Jeffersonville Indiana?

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

Jeffersonville, Indiana

Jeffersonville is a city in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It is directly across the Ohio River to the north of Louisville, Kentucky, along I-65. The population was 44,953 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Clark County.[6]

In 1786 Fort Finney was situated where the Kennedy Bridge is today to protect the area from Native Americans, and a settlement grew around the fort. The fort was renamed in 1791 to Fort Steuben in honor of Baron von Steuben. In 1793 the fort was abandoned. Precisely when the settlement became known as Jeffersonville is unclear, but it was probably around 1801, the year in which President Thomas Jefferson took office.[7] In 1802 local residents used a grid pattern designed by Thomas Jefferson for the formation of a city.[8] On September 13, 1803, a post office was established in the city. In 1808 Indiana's second federal land sale office was established in Jeffersonville, which initiated a growth in settling in Indiana that was further spurred by the end of the War of 1812.

Shortly after formation, Jeffersonville was named to be the county seat of Clark County in 1802, replacing Springville. In 1812 Charlestown was named the county seat, but the county seat returned to Jeffersonville in 1878, where it remains.[7]

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Jeffersonville IN

Jeffersonville IN medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in 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 pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in National Certified Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Jeffersonville IN.