Accelerated Medical Assistant Programs Bixby OK - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Bixby Oklahoma

Bixby OK medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Bixby OK, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? A number of future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable 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 look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Bixby OK nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their job is ensure that the Bixby OK hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices 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 potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any task they are qualified to under Oklahoma law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and attain 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 Education

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Bixby OK health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about a year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Bixby OK There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent option for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized also. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Bixby OK area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your education might be the right option for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for those who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing a job after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. Many potential Bixby OK medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. 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 have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Bixby OK medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some prospective students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to Bixby OK with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should explore when evaluating programs. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many good reasons to verify that the program you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Bixby OK employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are looking at provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Bixby OK area medical providers. They are a great method to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the Bixby healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Landing that very first job may be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Bixby OK 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 an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a few classes before enrolling in a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the program you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Bixby OK, make sure that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Bixby Oklahoma?

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

Bixby, Oklahoma

Bixby is a city in Tulsa and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and is a suburb of Tulsa. The population was 13,336 at the 2000 census and 20,884 in the 2010 census, an increase of 56.6 percent[3] In 2010, Bixby became the 19th largest city in Oklahoma. It is nicknamed "The Garden Spot of Oklahoma" for its rich agrarian heritage. Though one of the fastest growing communities in Oklahoma, it remains a sod-growing center and a popular location for purchasing fresh vegetables. The per capita income of $36,257 is the highest in the Tulsa Metropolitan area and is more than 50 percent higher than the state average.[4] In 2009, CNN Money.com placed Bixby No. 67 on its list of 100 Best Places to Live.[5]

Alexander Posey, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) nation, and his family settled in the area now known as Bixby in the late 1800s. He founded a community that was initially known as "Posey on Posey Creek," and included two saloons, a blacksmith shop and a general store. The town became a government town site with a post office in 1895. Located in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Indian Territory, Bixby was named in honor of Tams Bixby, a chairman of the Dawes Commission.[6] The original 80-acre (32 ha) town site plat was approved by the Dawes Commission in 1902. Many settlers were attracted to the area by the rich, though sometimes swampy river bottom land. In 1904 the Midland Valley Railroad laid tracks and built a depot about 1/2 mile north of the original town of Bixby.[7] This created factions that briefly split Bixby into two towns. The new part of town was deliberately surveyed so that the new streets did not align with the existing ones. However, businesses in the original town soon moved to the new location and built permanent brick buildings there. Bixby incorporated as an independent, self-governing town in 1906, with a population of 400 and an area of 160 acres (0.25 sq mi).[6] The first mayor, recorder and five aldermen were elected in February, 1907. In 1911, a two-story brick schoolhouse was built on Main Street. Bixby Central Elementary is now near the original site. A traffic bridge was built over the Arkansas River in 1911, and for a time was said to be the longest bridge west of the Mississippi River.

Bixby was impacted and enriched by the discovery of nearby natural gas deposits in 1905-1906 and oil fields in 1913, but farming remained the backbone of the community well into the 20th Century.[6] Early farmers focused on production of cotton, wheat and alfalfa in the rich river bottom. During the 1930s, truck farming of vegetables slowly replaced those crops. In 1941 Bixby became an important regional center for shipping produce by railroad. It was at that time that Bixby was christened with its nickname "The Garden Spot of Oklahoma," a designation still carried on the town seal and public vehicles. Cantaloupes, potatoes, radishes, squash, turnips, spinach and sweet corn were shipped from Bixby all over the U.S. In time, the majority of the truck farms were converted to the production of sod, typically Bermuda grass, or developed for residential and other purposes. Only a small percentage of Bixby residents now work in agriculture, but the town continues to celebrate its earthy roots with the yearly "Green Corn Festival" in June.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Program Bixby OK

Bixby OK medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime 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 selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Accelerated Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan 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 selecting the right program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Bixby OK.