Category Archives: Rhode Island

Medical Assistant Major Exeter RI

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School near Exeter Rhode Island

Exeter RI medical assistant checking pulseNow that you have made a decision to join the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Exeter RI, it’s time to select a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Many potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You may choose to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided several questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Exeter RI nursing home patientThe job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their job is ensure that the Exeter RI hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work operate successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

  • Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
  • Setting and verifying appointments
  • Taking vital signs and weighing patients
  • Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
  • Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
  • Providing general support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Rhode Island law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn 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 Courses

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Exeter RI health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Exeter RIThere are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent alternative for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened also. Just remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be completed in Exeter RI area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal 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 lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing a job after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Exeter RI medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Exeter RI medical assistant programsPrior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Exeter RI with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should explore when assessing schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several great reasons to confirm that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training 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 approved 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, 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 Exeter RI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to getting 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 closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Exeter RI area medical care providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Exeter healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Landing that very first job may be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Exeter RI area and ask 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 medical community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a college to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the school you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Exeter RI, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Exeter Rhode Island?

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

Exeter, Rhode Island

Exeter is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. Exeter extends east from the Connecticut border to the town of North Kingstown. It is bordered to the north by West Greenwich and East Greenwich, and to the south by Hopkinton, Richmond, and South Kingstown. Exeter's postal code is 02822, although small parts of the town have the mailing address West Kingston (02892) or Saunderstown (02874). The population was 6,425 at the 2010 census.

The town of Exeter was formed in 1742 from the western part of North Kingstown. The name Exeter derives from the county town and cathedral city of Exeter in Devon, England.[3] Numerous other places have also been given the name Exeter. Exeter is noted by folklorists as the site of one of the best documented examples of vampire exhumation: the Mercy Brown Vampire Incident of 1892.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 58.4 square miles (151 km2), of which, 57.7 square miles (149 km2) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) of it (1.15%) is water.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant College Exeter RI

Exeter RI medical assistant studentIt’s important to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re planning to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Major. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Exeter RI.

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