How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Program near South Haven Michigan
Once you have decided to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near South Haven MI, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? A number of future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues also. You might choose to research several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have provided some questions that you should ask all of the schools 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 kind of training and credentials that are offered.
The Job of a Medical Assistant
The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their function is ensure that the South Haven MI clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
- Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
- Providing general support during examinations and procedures
Although medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Michigan law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and obtain 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 Programs
In contrast to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many South Haven MI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options available for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Online Medical Assistant Classes
There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in South Haven MI area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your training might be the ideal option for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for individuals who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential South Haven MI medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs
Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some potential students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to South Haven MI with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must examine when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to ensure that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 school is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective South Haven MI employers will not employ 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. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to choose 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. This is just one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.
Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with South Haven MI area health care providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students establish relationships within the South Haven health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Service Offered? Landing that first job can be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the South Haven 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 healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s essential that the college you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near South Haven MI, make sure that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near South Haven Michigan?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the South Haven MI area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
South Haven, Michigan
Because of its position on Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Black River, South Haven has always been a port city. During settlement, major ship lines stopped there, both passenger and freight. In the early 1900s South Haven became a resort town, sometimes referred to as "The Catskills of the Midwest". South Haven is a major regional tourist draw because of its recreational harbor and beaches. It is the western terminus of the Kal-Haven Trail, popular with bicyclists and snowmobilers. Nearby are Van Buren State Park and the Van Buren Trail State Park.
Prior to colonization by white settlers, the area was inhabited at different times by Potawatomi and Iroquois native people. In 1833, the U.S. government granted Jay R. Monroe a land patent for 65 acres of land along the shore of Lake Michigan. In the 1850s the first permanent settlers arrived, and early in the decade the first steam sawmills were built on the Black River. About this time, the settlement gained its first merchant, physician, lawyer, and minister, and the first schoolhouse was built. The first bank was organized in 1867. South Haven was incorporated as a village in 1869, and as a city in 1902.[6]
In 1853, the first hotel in South Haven, known as the Forest House, was built at the corner of Phoenix and Center Streets.[7] The building was subsequently moved a few doors south and still stands, though greatly modified, and no longer used as a hotel.
Select the Ideal Medical Assistant College South Haven MI
It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you choose 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 6 Month Program For Medical Assistant. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in South Haven MI.
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