Medical Assistant Online School Commerce Township MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Commerce Township Michigan

Commerce Township MI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Commerce Township MI, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? Most future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You may want to research several 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 finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have included 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 responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Commerce Township MI nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their job is to make sure that the Commerce Township MI hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work operate successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct support 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 potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Michigan law, some opt to specialize in a particular 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 Training

In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Commerce Township MI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, a few 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 alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two 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 liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical 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 similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Commerce Township MI There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good option for individuals who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized also. But keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be carried out in Commerce Township MI area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the right option 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 previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Commerce Township MI medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly 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 graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Commerce Township MI medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to choose 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 selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Commerce Township MI with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the program you choose is accredited. First, 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 need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies 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 examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Commerce Township MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain 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 opt to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are looking at offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Commerce Township MI area health care providers. They are a great means to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students develop relationships within the Commerce Township medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Finding that initial job may be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Commerce Township MI area and ask 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 indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the school you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Commerce Township MI, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Commerce Township Michigan?

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

Commerce Township, Michigan

Commerce Township, officially the Charter Township of Commerce, is a charter township of Oakland County, and suburb of Detroit, located in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 40,186 at the 2010 census.[3] The terrain is rolling hills with large expanses of flat farmland and suburban development. The Huron River runs mostly north-south through the township. Commerce was formerly a weekend and summer resort for Detroiters because of the area's small inland lakes and peaceful seclusion, but due to recent development the cottages are now all permanent homes. There has been a sharp increase in population in the last few years, mostly on or near the several lakes and golf courses. Much of Proud Lake State Recreation Area is within the township. The northern terminus of M-5 is in Commerce. The busy highway would have continued north to Interstate 75, but because of the area's high property value and the many lakes that dot the landscape such a project would have been far too costly.

In 1994, David Hahn, a 17-year-old Eagle Scout, constructed a makeshift nuclear reactor in his backyard in Commerce Township, exposing himself and his neighbors—and maybe even as many as 40,000 people in the area—to radioactive materials, and drawing the attention of the EPA. The event became a short-lived media sensation, and a book by Ken Silverstein called The Radioactive Boy Scout was written about the incident and published in 2004.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 29.8 square miles (77 km2), of which 27.6 square miles (71 km2) is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2), or 7.61%, is water.[8]

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Training Commerce Township MI

Commerce Township MI medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare 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 so many schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Online School. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Commerce Township MI.