Clinical Medical Assistant Schools Glenwood MD - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Glenwood Maryland

Glenwood MD 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 Glenwood MD, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Most future students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You may decide to look into several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Glenwood MD nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Glenwood MD hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work operate successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Maryland law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn 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 Training

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Glenwood MD health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about a year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational 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 usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. 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 related field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Glenwood MD There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good option for individuals who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened also. Just bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Glenwood MD area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Glenwood MD medical employers simply 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). In order to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Glenwood MD medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Glenwood MD with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you should examine when assessing schools. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the program you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must 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 one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Glenwood MD employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Glenwood MD area health care providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the Glenwood medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Getting that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Glenwood MD area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller 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 possible, try to attend a few classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Glenwood MD, make certain that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Glenwood Maryland?

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

Glenwood, Howard County, Maryland

Glenwood is an unincorporated community in Howard County, Maryland, United States.[1] It is located between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., therefore attracting commuters to those employment centers. The community features acres of open space and is districted to Bushy Park Elementary, Glenwood and Folly Quarter Middle, and Glenelg High schools. Union Chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and Round About Hills was added in 2008.[2]

The area was settled in the early 18th century by the Ridgley and Warfield families forming large tobacco plantations "Bushy Park", "Longwood", "Ellerslie" and others. In 1822 James B. Matthews purchased a 200-acre farm and stone home from Caleb Dorsey. He opened a post office, on July 30, 1841 giving the area the name "Matthews Store" in the Howard District of Anne Arundel County, which operated until January 1874.[3][4] The Union Chapel was built in 1833. The Anne Arundel community became part of the newly formed Howard County. Despite southern sympathies, the Civil war ended slave labor on the local farms, slavery was replaced with Jim Crow laws. The Phrenakosmian Hall was opened, renamed to the Howard Institute serving 25 children. On January 13, 1874 the Glenwood postal stop opened.[3] It was renamed to Glenwood by James Matthew's son, Professor Lycurgus Matthews.[5][6]

In 1995, Glenwood land developer Randolph Ayersman made national news after police found that profits from drug sales were being used to buy and develop properties under A&A contracting in Glenwood.[7][8]

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Program Glenwood MD

Glenwood MD medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, 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 Clinical Medical Assistant Schools. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend 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 provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Glenwood MD.