Certified Medical Assistant Schools Mooresville NC - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training Program near Mooresville North Carolina

Mooresville NC medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Mooresville NC, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Many prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You might choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have provided several 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 responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Mooresville NC nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Mooresville NC hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under North Carolina law, some choose to specialize in a specific 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 Courses

Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Mooresville NC health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about one year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready 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 extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Mooresville NC There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent choice for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Mooresville NC area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for individuals who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Mooresville NC medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Mooresville NC medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Mooresville NC with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should explore when assessing programs. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several great reasons to confirm that the school you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the training 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 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 program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Mooresville NC employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive 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 elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Mooresville NC area medical providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Mooresville medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Getting that initial job can be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Mooresville NC area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates 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 jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s important that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Mooresville NC, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Mooresville North Carolina?

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

Mooresville, North Carolina

Mooresville is a large town located in southern Iredell County, North Carolina, United States and is a part of the fast-growing Charlotte Metro. The population was 32,711 at the 2010 United States Census.[4] In 2016, the population had increased to 36,543,[1] making it the largest municipality in Iredell County. It is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of Charlotte.

Mooresville is best known as the home of many NASCAR racing teams and drivers, along with an IndyCar team and its drivers, as well as racing technology suppliers, which has earned the town the nickname "Race City USA". Also located in Mooresville is the corporate headquarters of Lowe's Companies and Universal Technical Institute's NASCAR Technical Institute.

Mooresville is located in southern Iredell County at 35°35′4″N 80°49′13″W / 35.58444°N 80.82028°W / 35.58444; -80.82028 (35.584337, −80.820139).[5]Interstate 77 passes through the west side of the town, with access from Exits 31 through 36. I-77 leads South Carolina line and North to the Virginia line.The Iredell County seat. Lake Norman on the Catawba River is 3 to 8 miles (5 to 13 km) west of the town center.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant School Mooresville NC

Mooresville NC medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. 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 covered in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Schools. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Mooresville NC.