Medical Assistant Requirements Portage MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School Program near Portage Michigan

Portage MI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Portage MI, it’s time to select a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Most future students start by researching 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 factors as well. You may decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on 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 schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have included some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short 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 Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Portage MI nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their job is to make sure that the Portage MI hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

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

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Michigan law, some opt 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 Education

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Portage 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 basically two options available for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with 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 training. They usually have a practical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Portage MI There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good choice for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Portage MI area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the right choice for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting a position after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Portage MI medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Portage MI medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you must determine which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Portage MI with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the program you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Portage MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately two years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Portage MI area healthcare providers. They are a great means to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Portage healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Getting that first job may be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Portage MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the college you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Portage MI, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Portage Michigan?

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

Portage, Michigan

Portage is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 46,292 in the 2010 census. It is the smaller of the two main cities included in the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 326,589 as of 2010.[6]

There are two public high schools in Portage, Portage Central and Portage Northern. The pharmaceutical company Pfizer also has manufacturing operations located there, which in recent years has caused much controversy due to layoffs. Stryker Corporation also has a large manufacturing presence in the city and is a worldwide leader in medical equipment, instruments and imaging technologies. Portage is also home to FEMA Corporation, a growing hydraulic valve manufacturing company.

Portage is known for its extensive network of historical parks and trails used for cycling, walking, canoeing, and other recreational activities. Since the creation of the Portage Bikeway system in 1989, the trails have expanded to over 50 miles (80 km), over five times as long as the city’s expressways. Portage is also home to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Training Portage MI

Portage MI medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you select is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Requirements. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided 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 selecting the ideal program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Portage MI.