Medical Assistant Training Statesville NC - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

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

Statesville NC medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Statesville NC, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently pick the best one? Most prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You may want to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have included a few questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Statesville NC nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their duty is ensure that the Statesville NC clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out 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 general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are authorized to under North Carolina law, some prefer 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) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Statesville NC health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about one year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Statesville NC There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent alternative for students who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. But bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Statesville NC area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your education might be the ideal choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for individuals who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential Statesville NC medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Statesville NC medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Statesville NC with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you need to examine when researching programs. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several great reasons to make certain that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start 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 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 qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Statesville NC employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Statesville NC area health care providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They can also help students establish relationships within the Statesville medical community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Getting that very first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Statesville NC area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indication of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full-time, it’s essential that the college you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Statesville NC, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will also need to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Statesville North Carolina?

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

Statesville, North Carolina

Statesville is a city in Iredell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 24,532 at the 2010 census,[4] and was estimated at 26,506 in 2016.[1] It is the county seat of Iredell County and is part of the Charlotte metropolitan area.[5]

Statesville is in central Iredell County, in the western part of the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Interstate 40 and Interstate 77 intersect in the northeastern part of the city. I-40 leads northeast 41 miles (66 km) to Winston-Salem and west 30 miles (48 km) to Hickory, while I-77 leads north 55 miles (89 km) to the Virginia border and south 42 miles (68 km) to Charlotte. Three U.S. highways run through the center of Statesville. US 21 follows the same general route as I-77, leading north 38 miles (61 km) to Elkin and south 15 miles (24 km) to Mooresville. US 64 runs to the northeast close to I-40, leading 24 miles (39 km) to Mocksville, while to the northwest it leads 43 miles (69 km) to Lenoir. US 70 runs southwest out of Statesville 13 miles (21 km) to Catawba and southeast 25 miles (40 km) to Salisbury.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Statesville has a total area of 24.4 square miles (63.1 km2), of which 24.2 square miles (62.8 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.48%, are water.[4] The north side of Statesville is drained by Fourth Creek, while the south side is drained by Third Creek. Both creeks flow east, joining just before reaching the South Yadkin River near Cooleemee.

Choose the Best Medical Assistant Program Statesville NC

Statesville NC medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on 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 plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Statesville NC.