Certified Medical Assistant Certification South Lyon MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training Program near South Lyon Michigan

South Lyon MI medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near South Lyon MI, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? Many potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You might want to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included 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 responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with South Lyon MI nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their duty is ensure that the South Lyon MI clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

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

Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Michigan law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and obtain 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 Training Programs

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of South Lyon MI health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at junior and community colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a practical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in South Lyon MI There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. 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 alternative for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be performed in South Lyon MI area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting a job after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible South Lyon MI medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and perhaps 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 exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask South Lyon MI medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to South Lyon MI with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should examine when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the college you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential South Lyon MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with South Lyon MI area health care providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the South Lyon medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Getting that first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the South Lyon MI area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher 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 broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before selecting a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the program you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near South Lyon MI, make certain that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near South Lyon Michigan?

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

South Lyon, Michigan

South Lyon is a city in Southwestern Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, in Metro Detroit. The population was 11,327 at the 2010 census.[6] The city is part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area, which had a population of 106,139 according to the 2000 census. South Lyon is located in Oakland County's Lyon Township, near the Livingston County and Washtenaw County lines. The city is 19 miles (31 km) north of Ann Arbor, 45 miles (72 km) west of Detroit and 58 miles (93 km) east of Lansing.

South Lyon was founded in 1832 and was called Thompson's Corners. In the same year, the surrounding township was named Lyon for Lucius Lyon, a member of the State Legislature. The village was given a name for its location within the township. South Lyon was incorporated as a village in 1873 and as a city in 1930[7]

Three rail lines once passed through South Lyon. In the summer of 1871, the Detroit, Lansing and Northern was built west from Plymouth on the way to Lansing and Ionia. In 1880, the predessor to the Ann Arbor Railroad built a line into town from Ann Arbor. The goal of this line was to continue on towards Pontiac but that did not occur under the original owners. The line was pulled up around 1890. In 1883 the Grand Trunk built their Jackson Branch from Pontiac to Jackson, which crossed the Pere Marquette at South Lyon. The GTW branch line continued to serve South Lyon until the early 1980s. The branch line is now a paved bicycle trail through town and Reynold Sweet Parkway follows the original route. Today, South Lyon hosts the CSX main line from Detroit to Grand Rapids, and a passing track is located there.

Select the Best Medical Assistant School South Lyon MI

South Lyon MI medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing 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, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Certification. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in South Lyon MI.