How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near West Point Mississippi
Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near West Point MS, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? Many prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You may decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you should ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.
The Role of Medical Assistants
The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is ensure that the West Point MS hospitals, clinics 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 assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
- Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
- Providing general support during exams and procedures
Even though medical assistants may perform almost any task they are qualified to under Mississippi law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and earn 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 Training Courses
Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many West Point MS health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about a year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are usually two 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 general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical 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 similar field.
Medical Assistant Online Schools
There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent choice for students who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work 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 added benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in West Point MS area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential West Point MS medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Prior to assessing 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 at home. After those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to West Point MS with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to examine when researching schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many good reasons to ensure that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 either of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential West Point MS employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get 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 decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing provide the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with West Point MS area health care providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students establish relationships within the West Point healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Finding that very first job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the West Point MS area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before enrolling in a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the school you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near West Point MS, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all internships or practical training that will be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near West Point Mississippi?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the West Point MS area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
West Point, Mississippi
West Point is a city in Clay County, Mississippi, in the Golden Triangle region of the state. The population was 11,307 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Clay County[3] and the principal city of the West Point Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Columbus-West Point Combined Statistical Area.
West Point, MS is located in the North East section of Mississippi just across the Alabama state line. West Point has a rich heritage with generations of family lineage calling it home. Historically the area has a blend of African American, White and Native American lineage. The city has many social activities sponsored by church and civic organizations.
As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 11,307 people 4,444 households, and 3,043 families residing in the city. The population density was 535.13 people per square mile (225.3/km²). There were 4,856 housing units at an average density of 235.3 per square mile (90.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 40.6% White, 56.9% African American, 0.01% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 0.9% of the population. There were 3,043 households out of which 22.2% had own children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.1% were married couples living together, 28.4% had a female householder with no husband present, male household no wife present 4.9% and 31.5% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 28.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 20 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. The population was 53.7% female and 46.3% male. The median income for a household in the city was $30,440, and the median income for a family was $39,295. The per capita income for the city was $17,675. About 23.4% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.8% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those people age 65 or over.
Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Training West Point MS
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Best Colleges For Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in West Point MS.
More Medical Locations in Mississippi
Business Results 1 - 10 of 0
