How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Elizabeth City North Carolina
Now that you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Elizabeth City NC, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the right one? A number of prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You might decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished some 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 responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.
The Role of Medical Assistants
The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their function is to make sure that the Elizabeth City NC clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
- Scheduling and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
- Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
- Giving basic support during exams and procedures
While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are authorized to under North Carolina law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options available 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
Compared to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Elizabeth City NC health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as technical 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 often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Medical Assistant Online Schools
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent option for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be performed in Elizabeth City NC area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the best choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Elizabeth City NC medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. 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). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you must choose which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Elizabeth City NC with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you need to look at when researching schools. To assist you with that process, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many great reasons to make sure that the program you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Elizabeth City NC employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to enroll in 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. This is 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 avoid.
Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, verify that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Elizabeth City NC area health care providers. They are a great method to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Elizabeth City healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Finding that first job can be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Elizabeth City NC area and ask 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 healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Elizabeth City NC, make sure that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Elizabeth City North Carolina?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Elizabeth City NC area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2014 census, it had a population of 18,047.[6] Elizabeth City is the county seat and largest city of Pasquotank County.[7] It is the cultural, economic and educational hub of the sixteen-county Historic Albemarle region of northeastern North Carolina.[8]
Elizabeth City is the center of the Elizabeth City Micropolitan Statistical Area, with a population of 64,094 as of 2010, and is part of the larger Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area.[9] The city is the economic center of the region, as well as home to many historic sites and cultural traditions.
Marketed as the "Harbor of Hospitality", Elizabeth City has had a long history of shipping due to its location at a narrowed bend of the Pasquotank River.[10] Founded in 1794, Elizabeth City prospered early on from the Dismal Swamp Canal as a mercantile city, before later shifting into a varied industrial and commercial focus. While Elizabeth City still retains its extensive waterfront property, it is linked to neighboring counties and cities by highways and bridges and serves as the site of the largest US Coast Guard base in the nation.
Pick the Best Medical Assistant Training Program Elizabeth City NC
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Community College. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Elizabeth City NC.
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