Medical Assistant Study Birmingham MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training Program near Birmingham Michigan

Birmingham MI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Birmingham MI, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Many potential students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences 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 important issues as well. You might decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Birmingham MI nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their function is ensure that the Birmingham MI clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are authorized to under Michigan law, some choose 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Birmingham MI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Birmingham MI There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good alternative for students who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Birmingham MI area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your education might be the best option for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Birmingham MI medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among 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 sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Birmingham MI medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you must determine which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Birmingham MI with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to examine when assessing schools. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many good reasons to confirm that the college 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 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 agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Birmingham MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

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 must find out 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 naturally you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in 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 closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Birmingham MI area medical providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Birmingham healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Landing that first job may be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Birmingham MI area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a program to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the college you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Birmingham MI, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Birmingham Michigan?

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

Birmingham, Michigan

Birmingham is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located along the Woodward Corridor, between Royal Oak and Bloomfield Hills. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103.[8]

The area comprising what is now the city of Birmingham was part of land ceded by Native American tribes to the United States government by the 1807 Treaty of Detroit.[9] However, settlement was delayed first by the War of 1812 and subsequently by an unfavorable report by the Surveyor-General of the United States, Edward Tiffin, regarding the placement of Military Bounty Lands for veterans of the War of 1812.[10][11] Tiffin's report claimed that "There would not be an acre out of a hundred, if there would be one out of a thousand that would, in any case, admit cultivation." In 1818, Territorial Governor Lewis Cass led a group of men along the Indian Trail. The governor's party discovered that the swamp was not as extensive as Tiffin had supposed. Not long after Cass issued a more encouraging report about the land, interest quickened in its suitability for settlement.

The earliest land entry was made on January 28, 1819, by Colonel Benjamin Kendrick Pierce (brother of future U.S. President Franklin Pierce) for the northwest quarter of section 36. Colonel Pierce visited his land several times, but never settled on it.[12] In March 1818, John W. Hunter and his brother Daniel left Auburn, New York, by sleigh and traveled to Michigan by way of Upper Canada. They waited in Detroit for their father and other family members who arrived by schooner over Lake Erie in July. The family remained in Detroit until spring 1819 when John W. made an entry for the northeast quarter of section 36, now in the southeast section of current-day Birmingham. Lacking a proper land survey, John W. mistakenly built his log house on a tract later purchased by Elijah Willets. That house was later occupied by William Hall, a son-in-law of Elisha Hunter, while John W. Hunter built another log house a short distance to the southeast. On September 25, 1821, Elijah Willets made a land entry for the southwest quarter of section 25. Two days later, Major John Hamilton made an entry for the southeast quarter of section 25. Each of these initial land entries met at what is now the intersection of Maple Road and Pierce Street.

Choose the Best Medical Assistant Training Birmingham MI

Birmingham MI medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Study. But regardless of the kind 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 supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Birmingham MI.