Medical Assistant Programs Howell MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Howell Michigan

Howell MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Howell MI, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Many potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You may want to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have included some questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Howell MI nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their duty is ensure that the Howell MI hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing general support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Michigan law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and obtain 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

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Howell MI health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options available for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. 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 option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Howell MI There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good alternative for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced also. But remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be completed in Howell MI area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Howell MI medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Howell MI medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Howell MI with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to examine when evaluating programs. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make sure that the college you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Howell MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma 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 choose to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Howell MI area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Howell healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Getting that first job may be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Howell MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication 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 greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the college you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Howell MI, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Howell Michigan?

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

Howell, Michigan

Howell is a city in the Metro Detroit region of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,489. It is the county seat of Livingston County[6] and is located mostly within Howell Township, but is politically independent from Howell Township. The city is part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area.

January 1836 saw the establishment of the first post office. Flavius J. B. Crane was postmaster and the post office was located in the Eagle Tavern. In March of this same year, there was a mail route started between Howell and the village of Kensington, and west to Grand Rapids. The City of Howell is the county seat of Livingston County. On 24 March 1836, the legislature passed an act organizing Livingston County and Howell was slated to become the county seat. This claim was vigorously opposed by a group from Brighton and was wholly relinquished by them until the county buildings were actually erected 12 years later. Howell at once assumed the dignity of the County seat. The town was originally called Livingston Center and incorporated on 14 March 1863.

Howell's population increased dramatically during the 1970s due to white flight from Detroit and Lansing, changing its character from that of a farming community to an exhurb of bigger cities. This period of Howell's history also marked the birth of its well-known reputation of white supremacy, as Robert Miles, leader in the Michigan KKK, resided in nearby Cohoctah Township and hosted Klan events on his property. Although Miles died in 1992, the KKK rallied in downtown Howell in 1995 and the reputation persists in Detroit that Howell is the "KKK capital of Michigan."

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Howell MI

Howell MI medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Howell MI.