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

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Zebulon North Carolina

Zebulon NC medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Zebulon NC, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? A number of prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You may decide to look into several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have included several questions that you need to ask each 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 kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

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

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any duty 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) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

In contrast to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Zebulon NC health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to 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 clinical component involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Zebulon NC There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent alternative for students who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue working full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced also. Just bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be carried out in Zebulon NC area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the right option for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting a job after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Zebulon NC medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Zebulon NC medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Zebulon NC with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must explore when researching schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make sure that the college you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Zebulon NC employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Zebulon NC area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students develop relationships within the Zebulon health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Landing that very first job may be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Zebulon NC area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a college to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the program you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Zebulon NC, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also need to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Zebulon North Carolina?

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

Zebulon, North Carolina

Zebulon is the easternmost town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,433 at the 2010 census.[5] Zebulon is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. Five County Stadium, home to the Carolina Mudcats minor league baseball team, is located in the town.

In 1906 the Raleigh and Pamlico Sound Railroad Company decided to bring the railroad through the Whitley and Horton family farms in eastern Wake County. Edgar B. Barbee and Falconer B. Arendell organized the Zebulon Company for development that same year. The company received its charter on February 15, 1906. Shortly thereafter, they began to divide up their 49 acres (20 ha) into lots, blocks, streets and avenues. On February 16, 1907, the town was officially recognized as Zebulon, North Carolina. The town was named after Zebulon Baird Vance, the Governor of North Carolina during the American Civil War. The first election was held in May 1907, and the first elected mayor was Thomas J. Horton.

In 1997 Zebulon annexed the neighboring community of Wakefield, increasing the total area inside the corporate limits to 2,115 acres (8.56 km2) and the population to 3,908. The population had grown to 4,433 by 2010.[5]

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Zebulon NC

Zebulon NC medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. 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 addressed in this article, verify that the program you select is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical 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 type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, be 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 subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Zebulon NC.