Medical Assistant Job Description Jacksonville NC - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Jacksonville North Carolina

Jacksonville NC medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Jacksonville NC, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the right one? Many potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You may want to research several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have included a few questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Jacksonville NC nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their job is ensure that the Jacksonville NC hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers where they work run efficiently. 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 support to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under North Carolina law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices 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 Education

Unlike most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Jacksonville NC health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a practical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Jacksonville NC There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good option for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Jacksonville NC area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the best choice for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for those who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Jacksonville NC medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Jacksonville NC medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which kind of credential you would like to attain, 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 discussed at the beginning of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Jacksonville NC with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when researching schools. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you need to 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 confirm that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged organizations for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Jacksonville NC employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Jacksonville NC area medical care providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the Jacksonville health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Finding that first job may be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Jacksonville NC area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may 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 teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a few classes before enrolling in a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the program you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Jacksonville NC, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Jacksonville North Carolina?

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

Jacksonville, North Carolina

Jacksonville is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the population stood at 70,145, which makes Jacksonville the 14th largest city in North Carolina.[4] Jacksonville is the principal city of Onslow County and is included in the Jacksonville, North Carolina metropolitan area. In 2014, Forbes magazine ranked Jacksonville as the fifth fastest-growing small city in the United States.[5] Demographically, Jacksonville is the youngest city in the United States with an average age of 22.8 years old, which can be attributed to the large military presence. The low age may also be in part due to the population drastically going up over the past 80 years, from a mere 783 in the 1930 census to 70,145 in the 2010 census.[6]

It is the county seat of Onslow County,[7] and the home of the United States Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station. Jacksonville is located adjacent to North Carolina's Southern Outer Banks (SOBX) area.

On 21 June 2016, the City of Jacksonville, NC, became the first jurisdiction to adopt a paid holiday honoring the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution which made slavery in the United States and its territories illegal. The resolution of adoption targets the prevention of the modern slavery epidemic in the form of human trafficking, which includes forcing children to engage in labor and combat.[citation needed]

Pick the Best Medical Assistant School Jacksonville NC

Jacksonville NC medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many 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 select is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Job Description. 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 so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Jacksonville NC.