Medical Assistant Training School North Scituate RI

How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near North Scituate Rhode Island

North Scituate RI medical assistant checking pulseOnce you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near North Scituate RI, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? A number of prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You might decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to assist you with that process, we have provided some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with North Scituate RI nursing home patientThe responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the North Scituate RI clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

  • Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
  • Scheduling and verifying appointments
  • Weighing and taking patients vital signs
  • Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
  • Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
  • Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are authorized to under Rhode Island law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many North Scituate RI health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about a year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in North Scituate RIThere are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are an excellent alternative for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized as well. But keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be carried out in North Scituate RI area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the best option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for individuals who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible North Scituate RI medical employers just will not hire 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). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask North Scituate RI medical assistant programsPrior to evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to North Scituate RI with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you should explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the school you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 school is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective North Scituate RI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose 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 closer to one year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with North Scituate RI area healthcare providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students build relationships within the North Scituate health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Provided? Landing that very first job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the North Scituate RI area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

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 school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near North Scituate RI, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near North Scituate Rhode Island?

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

Scituate, Rhode Island

Scituate was first settled in 1710 by emigrants from Scituate, Massachusetts. The original spelling of the town's name was "Satuit", a native Indian word meaning "cold brook" or "cold river." The town was a part of Providence until 1731.

Scituate's first town meeting was held at the Angell Tavern in South Scituate, with Stephen Hopkins elected as the first moderator and Joseph Brown as clerk. Stephen Hopkins later became a governor of Rhode Island and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His brother, Esek Hopkins, was Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy beginning in 1776. In 1788 Scituate representative, militia general and Supreme Court Justice William West led an armed anti-federalist mob of farmers into Providence to protest the U.S. Constitution.[4] In 1791 the U.S. Supreme Court decided its first case, West v. Barnes, regarding a farm in Scituate.

Scituate was once made up of a multitude of small villages, including North Scituate, Hope, Ashland, Clayville, Elmdale, Fiskeville, Glenn Rock, Harrisdale, Jackson, Kent, Ponaganset, Potterville, Richmond, Rockland, Saundersville, and South Scituate. Foster was incorporated as a separate town in 1781, taking the western half of Scituate.

Pick the Best Medical Assistant Course North Scituate RI

North Scituate RI medical assistant studentIt’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example 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 Medical Assistant Training School. 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, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in North Scituate RI.

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