Medical Assistant Curriculum Midland MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Program near Midland Michigan

Midland MI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Midland MI, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? Most prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest 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 factors as well. You may choose to research a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have included a few questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Midland MI nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Midland MI hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions 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 practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Michigan law, some opt 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 Training Programs

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Midland MI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically 2 options available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Midland MI There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good option for students who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Midland MI area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your education might be the right option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for individuals who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting a position after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Midland MI medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Midland MI medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Midland MI with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should look at when evaluating programs. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to confirm that the college you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education 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 approved 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 program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Midland MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out 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. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Midland MI area medical providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the Midland medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Getting 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 schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Midland MI area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Midland MI, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Midland Michigan?

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

Midland, Michigan

Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of Central Michigan. It is the county seat of Midland County.[7] The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Combined Statistical Area. In 2010, Midland was named the no. 4 Best Small City to raise a family in by Forbes magazine.[8]

By the late 1820s, Midland was established as a fur trading post of the American Fur Company supervised by the post at Saginaw. Here agents purchased furs from Ojibwe trappers. The Campau family of Detroit operated an independent trading post at this location in the late 1820s.[9]

The Dow Chemical Company was founded in Midland in 1897, and its world headquarters are still located there. Through the influence of a Dow Chemical plant opening in Handa, Aichi, Japan, Midland and Handa have become sister cities.[10] The Dow Corning Corporation and Chemical Bank are also headquartered in Midland.

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant School Midland MI

Midland MI medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. 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 choose is accredited by a recognized organization, for example 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 Curriculum. 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 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 Midland MI.