Best Colleges For Medical Assistant Elkridge MD - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training School near Elkridge Maryland

Elkridge MD medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Elkridge MD, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of potential students start by evaluating 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 also. You might want to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have provided several questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

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

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

Although medical assistants may perform almost any task they are authorized to under Maryland law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and earn 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 Training Programs

In contrast to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Elkridge MD health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two choices offered for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Elkridge MD There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good choice for students who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized also. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be carried out in Elkridge MD area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for individuals who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Elkridge MD medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Elkridge MD medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, 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 choices have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Elkridge MD with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when assessing schools. To assist you with that process, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the school you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training 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 acknowledged organizations 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. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Elkridge MD employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to obtain 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 choose to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are looking at provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Elkridge MD area medical care providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Elkridge healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Landing that very first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Elkridge MD area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a few classes before enrolling in a college to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Elkridge MD, make sure that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Elkridge Maryland?

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

Elkridge, Maryland

Elkridge is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Howard County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,593 at the 2010 census.[4] Founded early in the 18th century, Elkridge is located at the confluence of three counties, the other two being Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties.

Elkridge qualifies as the oldest settlement in its present county, when Howard was a part of Anne Arundel County. Its location on the Patapsco River was a key element in its growth. The Maryland General Assembly elected a law to erect a 30-acre (120,000 m2), forty-lot town at the pre-existing settlement of Elkridge Landing to be called "Jansen Town" in 1733.[5] In 1738 an attempt to formalize the town failed with the death of the commissioners before passage. In 1750 a second attempt to formalize the town was attempted around the lands of Phillip Hammond. By comparison, Baltimore Town consisted of only 25 dwellings at that time. A third petition was filed in 1762.[6]

The settlement was founded as a place where planters, who each had a wharf along the river, could bring their tobacco crop to be loaded on English trading ships. Later, Elkridge Landing was built as the seaport dock for the community. In 1755 the Elkridge Furnace was founded at the Elkridge Furnace Complex, a historic iron works located on approximately 16 acres (65,000 m2) and including six remaining buildings of an iron furnace which operated into the 1860s.[7] The millrace that fed water to the furnace was filled in in the 1920s to create the current "Race Road".[8] The Hockley Forge and Mill were created upstream in 1760.[9] In 1781, Lafayette camped light infantry at Elkridge Landing en route to Virginia during the Revolutionary war.[10] In 1825, Jansen Town burned, taking out all of the oldest buildings at the Landing and 9 out of 10 houses in the village. The same year, on October 12, 1825, the Elkridge Landing postal stop was created.[11]

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Program Elkridge MD

Elkridge MD medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Best Colleges For Medical Assistant. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure 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 fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Elkridge MD.