Top Medical Assistant Programs Southern Pines NC - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School Program near Southern Pines North Carolina

Southern Pines NC medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Southern Pines NC, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most potential students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You may decide to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Southern Pines NC nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their role is ensure that the Southern Pines 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 an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under North Carolina law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Southern Pines NC health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical element 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Southern Pines NC There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good option for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced as well. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be carried out in Southern Pines NC area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the right option for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for individuals who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining a position after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Southern Pines NC medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. Among 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 take the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Southern Pines NC medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Southern Pines NC with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to examine when researching schools. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many good reasons to ensure that the school you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Southern Pines NC employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, verify that the schools you are reviewing provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Southern Pines NC area healthcare providers. They are a great method to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Southern Pines medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Getting that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Southern Pines NC area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Small 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 practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Southern Pines NC, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Southern Pines North Carolina?

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

Southern Pines, North Carolina

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.5 square miles (40.2 km²), of which 15.4 square miles (39.8 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 km²) (1.16%) is water.

As of the 2010 census,[2] there were 12,334 people, 5,866 households, and 3,304 families residing in the town. The population density was 806 people per square mile (311.2/km²). There were 6,859 housing units at an average density of 371 houses/condos per square mile (143.24/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 71.7% White, 24% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.[8]

Of the 5,866 households, 21% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 13% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7 had a male householder with no female present, and 38.9% were non-families. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.75.[8]

Pick the Right Medical Assistant School Southern Pines NC

Southern Pines NC medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to begin 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 info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as 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 Top Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Southern Pines NC.