Clinical Medical Assistant Training Brighton MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School Program near Brighton Michigan

Brighton MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Brighton MI, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Many potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors also. You may 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 college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that task, 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 talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Brighton MI nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Brighton MI clinics, hospitals and other healthcare 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 providing 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 potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Michigan law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Courses

Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Brighton MI health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually 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 prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as technical 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 training. They often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Brighton MI There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced as well. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be carried out in Brighton MI area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Brighton MI medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Brighton MI medical assistant programs Before you can start examining 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 at home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Brighton MI with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several great reasons to make certain that the college you choose is accredited. To begin 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 approved 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 program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Brighton MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to enroll in a program focused on 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 ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Brighton MI area medical care providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Brighton healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Landing that initial job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Brighton MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, 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 receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full time, it’s important that the school you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Brighton MI, 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 any internships or practical training that may be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Brighton Michigan?

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

Brighton, Michigan

Brighton is a suburb in Metro Detroit located in the southeast portion of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,444. Brighton forms part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area. It is one of two incorporated cities in Livingston County, and incorporates land that was once part of Brighton, Green Oak and Genoa townships.

Brighton exhibits what is known as a continental climate biome. Within the heart of the Great Lakes region, Brighton weather ranges from warm summers with occasional thunderstorms to cold, dry winters with moderate to heavy snowfall. Brighton has many parks nearby for fall foliage viewing including Brighton Recreation Area and Kensington Metro Park.

The median income for a household in the city in 2009 was $47,668, and the median income for a family was $77,105.[10] Males had a median income of $48,554 versus $30,877 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,781. Brighton's surrounding townships and communities, such as Brighton and Genoa Township, have median household incomes in excess of $90,000, making it one of the more prosperous places in Michigan. Additionally, about 3.0% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over in the 2000 census.

Select the Best Medical Assistant School Brighton MI

Brighton MI medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to begin 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 before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Clinical Medical Assistant Training. But regardless 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, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Brighton MI.