Medical Assistant Colleges Chapel Hill NC - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training Program near Chapel Hill North Carolina

Chapel Hill NC medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Chapel Hill NC, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors also. You may want to research several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have included a few 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 kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Chapel Hill NC nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Chapel Hill NC clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

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

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under North Carolina law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Courses

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Chapel Hill NC health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Chapel Hill NC There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent option for individuals who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened also. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Chapel Hill NC area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your training might be the best option for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for individuals who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Chapel Hill NC medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Chapel Hill NC medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you must choose which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Chapel Hill NC with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to look at when assessing programs. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the college you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction 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 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 either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Chapel Hill NC employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to select a program concentrating 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 school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally 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, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Chapel Hill NC area medical providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Chapel Hill health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Finding that very first job can be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Chapel Hill NC area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal instruction 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 couple of classes before enrolling in a school to observe what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the program you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Chapel Hill NC, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will also need to schedule all internships or clinical training that might 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 issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Chapel Hill North Carolina?

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

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Chapel Hill is a town in Orange and Durham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 57,233 in the 2010 census, making Chapel Hill the 15th-largest city in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state capital, Raleigh, make up the corners of the Research Triangle (officially the Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill combined statistical area), with a total population of 1,998,808.[2]

The town was founded in 1793 and is centered on Franklin Street, covering 21.3 square miles (55 km2). It contains several districts and buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care are a major part of the economy and town influence. Local artists have created many murals.

The area was the home place of early settler William Barbee of Middlesex County, Virginia, whose 1753 grant of 585 acres from John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville was the first of two land grants in what is now the Chapel Hill-Durham area. Though William Barbee died shortly after settling there, one of his eight children, Christopher Barbee, became an important contributor to his father's adopted community and to the fledgling University of North Carolina.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Program Chapel Hill NC

Chapel Hill NC medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Colleges. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Chapel Hill NC.