Medical Assistant Certification Programs Near Me Madison Heights MI

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training Program near Madison Heights Michigan

Madison Heights MI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Madison Heights MI, it’s time to choose 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 future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You might decide to look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to assist you with that process, we have included several 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 role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Madison Heights MI nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their role is ensure that the Madison Heights MI hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Michigan law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options offered 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 Courses

In contrast to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Madison Heights MI health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Madison Heights MI There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good option for individuals who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue to work full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized also. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be carried out in Madison Heights MI area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the right choice for you. Between 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 choice for individuals who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Madison Heights MI medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Madison Heights MI medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you need to determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Madison Heights MI with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should look at when assessing programs. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many good reasons to ensure that the program you select is accredited. To begin with, 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 need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged agencies 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 agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Madison Heights MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Madison Heights MI area healthcare providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Madison Heights medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Getting that very first job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Madison Heights MI area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before enrolling in a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the college you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Madison Heights MI, make sure that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will still need to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, ask 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 Madison Heights Michigan?

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

Madison Heights, Michigan

Originally part of Royal Oak Township, Madison Heights incorporated as a city by popular vote on January 17, 1955, and chartered on December 6 that same year, becoming the tenth city government in southern Oakland County. At that time, the 7.2 square miles (18.6 km2) city was one of the largest suburban communities in the Metro Detroit area. The first city hall was located at 26305 John R Road, the former township offices. On April 5, 1963, a new municipal building was dedicated which is on the present location at 300 West Thirteen Mile Road. The city lies in the Interstate 696 (I-696) and I-75 corridor and is served by two primary school districts, Lamphere and Madison, as well as a full-service municipal government. The current mayor of Madison Heights is Brian Hartwell.

Although 91% of the buildings in Madison Heights are single-family homes or condominiums (approximately 9,800 residential property owners), 60% of the tax base is fueled by light industrial or commercial property. Madison Heights was named a "High Tech Hot Spot" by a local magazine.[citation needed] The city's average number of fires per 1,000 people is 4.12, well below the national average of 6.7 fires per 1,000 people. The city contains 15 voting precincts, totaling more than 21,000 registered voters. Robert Earl Richardson was the first Chief of Police when the city was chartered in December 1955.

There are more than 112 miles (180 km) of road within Madison Heights, of which the city maintains 105 miles (169 km), 95 miles (153 km) for snow removal, sweeping, and patching. Interstate 75 passes north to south on the west side of the city, and Interstate 696 is the major feature of its southern border. The junction of these two highways is shared with Royal Oak and Hazel Park on the southwest corner of Madison Heights.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Madison Heights MI

Madison Heights MI medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to 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 decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Certification Programs Near Me. But irrespective of the type 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 in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Madison Heights MI.