Become A Certified Medical Assistant Stevensville MI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School near Stevensville Michigan

Stevensville 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 Stevensville MI, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? Many future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You may want to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have provided some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Stevensville MI nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their role is to make sure that the Stevensville MI clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are qualified to under Michigan law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and earn 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

In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Stevensville MI health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a 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 attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to trade 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 courses. They usually have a practical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Stevensville MI There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be carried out in Stevensville MI area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education might be the right choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified 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 position after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Stevensville MI medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among 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 sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Stevensville MI medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Stevensville MI with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional issues that you should look at when assessing programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to ensure that the college you select 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 plan on becoming certified, you must complete 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 organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Stevensville MI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Second, ask 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 evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with low rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Stevensville MI area healthcare providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students develop relationships within the Stevensville health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Getting that first job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Stevensville MI area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before choosing a program to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the school you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Stevensville MI, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Stevensville Michigan?

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

Stevensville, Michigan

The village was platted in the 1840s by Thomas Stevens, who was a prominent banker from Niles, Michigan, and owned a large tract of land in the area. A.D. Brown made a later addition, and in 1893 the village was incorporated. In 1906, Stevensville's population was 250.[6]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,142 people, 526 households, and 315 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,098.1 inhabitants per square mile (424.0/km2). There were 584 housing units at an average density of 561.5 per square mile (216.8/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 94.6% White, 2.1% African American, 1.0% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

There were 526 households of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.1% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.78.

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant College Stevensville MI

Stevensville MI medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Become A Certified Medical Assistant. 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, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Stevensville MI.