Clinical Medical Assistant Certificate Program Highland Park MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School Program near Highland Park Michigan

Highland Park MI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Highland Park MI, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors also. You may want to look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are examining. 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 talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Highland Park MI nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their role is ensure that the Highland Park MI hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers where they work run efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

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

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Michigan law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options available 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

Compared to most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Highland Park MI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about one year to complete, 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 option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Highland Park MI There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are a good choice for students who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced also. But keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Highland Park MI area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the best option for you. Between 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 stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for individuals who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting a position after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Highland Park MI medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Highland Park MI medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you must determine which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Highland Park MI with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to examine when researching programs. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about each 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 program you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education 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 accepted 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Highland Park MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are reviewing provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Highland Park MI area medical providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Highland Park healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Finding that very first job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Highland Park MI area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high 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 large network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a school to witness what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the school you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Highland Park MI, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol 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 Highland Park Michigan?

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

Highland Park, Michigan

Highland Park is a city in Wayne County in the State of Michigan, within Metro Detroit. The population was 11,776 at the 2010 census. The city is completely surrounded by Detroit except for a small portion that touches the city of Hamtramck, which is also surrounded by Detroit.

The area that was to become Highland Park began as a small farming community, on a large ridge located at what is now Woodward Avenue and Highland, six miles (9.7 km) north of Detroit. In 1818, prominent Detroit judge Augustus B. Woodward bought the ridge, and platted the village of Woodwardville in 1825. The development of the village failed. Another Detroit judge, Benjamin F. H. Witherell, son of Michigan Supreme Court justice James Witherell, attempted to found a village platted as Cassandra on this site in 1836, but this plan also failed.[5]

By 1860, the settlement was given a post office under the name of Whitewood. After a succession of closures and reopenings of the rural post office, the settlement was finally incorporated as a village within Greenfield Township and Hamtramck Township under the name of Highland Park in 1889.[6]

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Course Highland Park MI

Highland Park MI medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the proper 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 need to get the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Clinical Medical Assistant Certificate Program. 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Highland Park MI.