How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Mount Pleasant Michigan
Once you have decided to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Mount Pleasant MI, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You may decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.
The Job of Medical Assistants
The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Mount Pleasant MI hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work run efficiently. Based 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 practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
- Scheduling and verifying appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures
Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Michigan law, some elect to specialize in a particular 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 Training
In contrast to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Mount Pleasant 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 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest route 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 created 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 provided at junior and community colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Medical Assistant Online Programs
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good choice for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. But keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be carried out in Mount Pleasant MI area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the ideal option for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for graduates who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing a job after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Mount Pleasant MI medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Mount Pleasant MI with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to examine when assessing schools. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Course 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 instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Mount Pleasant MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.
Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about two years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the schools you are looking at provide the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Mount Pleasant MI area medical care providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Mount Pleasant medical community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Finding that very first job may be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Mount Pleasant MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high 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 wide network of employers to help place students in positions.
How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication 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 increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before enrolling in a college to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full time, it’s essential that the program you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Mount Pleasant MI, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the policy 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 Mount Pleasant Michigan?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Mount Pleasant MI area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Part of the city (with a population of 8,741) is located within the Isabella Indian Reservation, the base of the federally recognized Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation. This is the site of the Tribe's Soaring Eagle Casino.
The city is home to the main campuses of Central Michigan University, one of the largest universities in the state with 20,000 students at Mount Pleasant, and Mid Michigan Community College. The student population nearly doubles the population of the city during the academic year, making it a college town.
Until the mid-19th century, this area was occupied by historical bands of the Ojibwa people, known by English speakers as the Chippewa. In the early decades of the century, they ceded vast amounts of land to the United States government, which wanted to extinguish Native American land titles to enable settlement by European Americans.
Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant School Mount Pleasant MI
It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Duties. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Mount Pleasant MI.
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