Accredited Medical Assistant Programs Livonia MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training Program near Livonia Michigan

Livonia MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Livonia MI, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You may want to look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have included several questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Livonia MI nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Livonia MI hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities 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 practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Michigan law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn 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

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Livonia MI health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Livonia MI There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Livonia MI area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree 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 clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for those who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Livonia MI medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. 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 apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Livonia MI medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Livonia MI with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when assessing schools. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Livonia MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, ask what the program’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. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Livonia MI area health care providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students develop relationships within the Livonia health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Provided? Finding that first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Livonia 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 healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before selecting a college to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the college you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Livonia MI, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, find out 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 Livonia Michigan?

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

Livonia, Michigan

Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods (most of which were built in the 1950s and 1960s) connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's ninth largest municipality.[5] The municipality is a part of Metro Detroit, and is located approximately 15 miles (24 km) northwest of downtown Detroit, and less than two miles (3 km) from the western city limits of Detroit (Redford Township lies between the two).

First settled by pioneers from New England and New York, an act by the Legislature of the Territory of Michigan established the borders of Livonia Township on March 17, 1835. The settlers brought with them the name "Livonia", a name that had already been given to Livonia, New York, Livonia, Pennsylvania and a region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea named Livonia in present-day Estonia and Latvia, from which many early settlers came.[6][7][8]

During the days of the city being a township, many small communities have existed. One of these was Elmwood, initially known as McKinley's Station. It was a stop on the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad. It had a post office from 1858 until 1906.[9] There was a post office in the township named Giltedge from 1899 until 1902.[10]

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant School Livonia MI

Livonia MI medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Accredited Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Livonia MI.