Colleges That Offer Medical Assistant Degrees Pellston MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training Program near Pellston Michigan

Pellston MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Pellston MI, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? A number of potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences 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 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 before you select a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have provided some 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 function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

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

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

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

Unlike many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Pellston MI health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about one 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 normally two year programs available at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Pellston MI There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Pellston MI area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the right choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in getting a job after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Pellston MI medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among 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 take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Pellston MI medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Pellston MI with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to look at when assessing programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the school you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations 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 eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Pellston MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program targeting 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 ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about 2 years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Pellston MI area medical providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Pellston healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Finding that first job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Pellston 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 health care community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a program to witness what the teaching atmosphere 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 imperative that the school you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Pellston MI, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Pellston Michigan?

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

Pellston, Michigan

Pellston is a village in Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 822 at the 2010 census. The village is the home of Pellston Regional Airport. Its motto is "Icebox of the Nation"; Pellston recorded the state of Michigan's record low temperature, at −53 °F (−47 °C), in 1933, and every winter is regularly called out in national weather reports, along with towns such as Big Piney, Wyoming, Fraser, Colorado and International Falls, Minnesota, as one of the coldest spots in the nation.

The village lies on the boundary between Maple River and McKinley townships on US Highway 31. Interstate 75 is about 10 miles (16 km) east of Pellston. Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge are approximately 18 miles (29 km) north and Petoskey is about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of the village. The University of Michigan Biological Station is on nearby Douglas Lake.

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 822 people, 308 households, and 216 families residing in the village. The population density was 430.4 inhabitants per square mile (166.2/km2). There were 364 housing units at an average density of 190.6 per square mile (73.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 86.5% White, 0.2% African American, 8.0% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Pellston MI

Pellston MI medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will provide the right training. Regardless if you’re planning to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Colleges That Offer Medical Assistant Degrees. 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Pellston MI.