Where Can I Get My Medical Assistant Certification Holt MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Holt Michigan

Holt MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Holt MI, it’s time to select a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Many potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean 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 issues also. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have included some questions that you should ask each 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 offered.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Holt MI nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their job is to make sure that the Holt MI hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Michigan law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Holt MI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Holt MI There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent choice for students who may not have the 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 working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Holt MI area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training may be the right choice for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for those who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a position after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Holt MI medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably 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 be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Holt MI medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating 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 from home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Holt MI with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you must examine when assessing schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to verify that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved organizations 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Holt MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, 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 example, then obviously you will need to choose a program focused on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Holt MI area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Holt medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Getting that initial job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Holt 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 suggests that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the school you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Holt MI, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, 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 Holt Michigan?

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

Holt, Michigan

Holt is an unincorporated community within Delhi Charter Township, Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place (CDP) used for statistical purposes. The population was 23,973 at the 2010 census,[3] up from 11,315 at the 2000 census, when the CDP area was significantly smaller.

The Holt CDP occupies a majority of Delhi Charter Township, extending to its eastern and western borders. It is bordered to the north by the Lansing city limits. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 15.9 square miles (41.1 km2), of which 15.7 square miles (40.6 km2) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2), or 1.25%, are water.[3]

The first permanent settlers of Delhi Township, John Norris and Fred Luther, arrived in 1837. In 1850, 402 settlers resided in the township.[4] By 1857, Delhi Center (now Holt) had a post office, hotel, tavern, and several other businesses. The post office at Delhi Center was renamed "Holt" in 1860 to prevent confusion with Delhi Mills in Washtenaw County. Joseph Holt was the U.S. Postmaster General during that time.[5]

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Course Holt MI

Holt MI medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is 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 obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Where Can I Get My Medical Assistant Certification. 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 picking the ideal program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Holt MI.