Medical Assistant Schools Cedar Springs MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training Program near Cedar Springs Michigan

Cedar Springs MI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Cedar Springs MI, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently pick the right one? Many prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors also. You may want to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have furnished several 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 responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Cedar Springs MI nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Cedar Springs MI hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Michigan law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and obtain 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 Programs

In contrast to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Cedar Springs MI health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed 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 usually 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Cedar Springs MI There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent alternative for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be minimized also. Just keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Cedar Springs MI area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education might be the best choice for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Cedar Springs MI medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained 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 examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Cedar Springs MI medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you must choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Cedar Springs MI with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you need to look at when researching schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Cedar Springs MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about two years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Cedar Springs MI area medical providers. They are a great method to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the Cedar Springs health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Landing that initial job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Cedar Springs MI area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might 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 likely to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the program you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Cedar Springs MI, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all clinical training or internships 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 Cedar Springs Michigan?

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

Cedar Springs, Michigan

Established as a lumber town in 1856, Cedar Springs boasted numerous lumber and shingle mills. The town was the northern terminus of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad for two years and also was the crossing point for the east to west running Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon Railway, which became the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, which was built through the town in 1888. The community was named for the fine springs bordered by a cedar grove.

Taxes in Cedar Springs have remained steady at a millage rate of $15 per $1,000. Cedar Springs has a small retail business district and a burgeoning industrial base. The community has vast possibilities for future growth. Significant industry and business have been attracted to the Cedar Springs area, including Display Pack and various precision tool and die companies.

The city is home to Cedar Springs Public Schools, a public school district which encompasses 110 square miles (280 km2) and serves the city and portions of Kent, Montcalm and Newaygo Counties. Cedar Springs Public Schools has a current enrollment of 2,768 students located on a single 100 acre (400,000 m²) campus near downtown Cedar Springs. The school system is currently completing a $27 million building and renovation project. Cedar Springs High School has North Central Accreditation.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant School Cedar Springs MI

Cedar Springs MI medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Schools. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online 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 ideal program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Cedar Springs MI.