How Long Are Medical Assistant Programs Rochester MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Rochester Michigan

Rochester MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Rochester MI, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the right one? Many prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You might want to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Rochester MI nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their role is ensure that the Rochester MI clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions 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 support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing general support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may perform almost any task they are authorized to under Michigan law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the choices 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 Training Courses

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Rochester MI health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options available for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a practical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare 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.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Rochester MI There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good option for individuals who may not have 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 to work full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be completed in Rochester MI area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the ideal choice for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Rochester MI medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of 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 take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Rochester MI medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some potential students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Rochester MI with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must look at when assessing programs. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the school you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Rochester MI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, verify that the colleges you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Rochester MI area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Rochester medical community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Finding that first job can be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Rochester MI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before selecting a college to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the program you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Rochester MI, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Rochester Michigan?

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

Rochester, Michigan

The first settlers in what would become Rochester, the Graham family, built a log cabin in 1817. The cabin was located where the Quik Pik and Penn Station stores today exist at the intersection of Main and Second Street. The city was named for Rochester, New York, just like Rochester, Minnesota, as many early settlers to the area were formerly from the state of New York.

The city became an industrial center with abundant water power from the Clinton River and Paint Creek. The interconnected waterways are no longer used for travel or local industry, but provide natural beauty, some fishing, and a healthy portion of the Clinton Watershed. Historically, past industries formerly located in Rochester included a refinery for sugar beets, a paper products company, and the Western Knitting Mills factory, which was later adapted and utilized during World War II for incendiary production—businesses that no longer exist in the area. Rochester was served by two railroads as well as the Detroit United Railway, an interurban to Royal Oak and Detroit.

Chapman Mill Pond, east of downtown, disappeared into the Paint Creek when the dam broke during the flood of 1946. The reclaimed land is the site of the current post office, Rochester Hills library, and Olde Towne Road. Water Street, formerly situated at the edge of the large pond, remains by its name a reminder of the pond's former existence.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Course Rochester MI

Rochester MI medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long Are Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Rochester MI.