Certified Medical Assistant Career Beaufort SC - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Beaufort South Carolina

Beaufort SC medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Beaufort SC, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Most prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You might decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short 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 Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Beaufort SC nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their function is ensure that the Beaufort SC clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

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

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are qualified to under South Carolina law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options 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 Education

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Beaufort SC 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 basically two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a practical element 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 Beaufort SC There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good option for students who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced also. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be carried out in Beaufort SC area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your training may be the right choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing a job after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Beaufort SC medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and possibly 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 be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Beaufort SC medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine 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 begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Beaufort SC with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should look at when researching schools. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several good reasons to verify that the college you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in 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 allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Beaufort SC employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select 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 about one year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are considering provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Beaufort SC area medical providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Beaufort health care community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Provided? Finding that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Beaufort SC area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a large 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 get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a few classes before enrolling in a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the school you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Beaufort SC, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that might be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Beaufort South Carolina?

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

Beaufort, South Carolina

Beaufort (/ˈbjuːfərt/ BEW-fərt, a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina[3]) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States.[4] Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census.[5] It is a primary city within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Beaufort is located on Port Royal Island, in the heart of the Sea Islands and South Carolina Lowcountry. The city is renowned for its scenic location and for maintaining a historic character by preservation of its antebellum architecture. The city is also known for its military establishments, being located in close proximity to Parris Island and a U.S. naval hospital, in addition to being home of the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

The city has been featured in the New York Times, and named "Best Small Southern Town" by Southern Living, a "Top 25 Small City Arts Destination" by American Style, and a "Top 50 Adventure Town" by National Geographic Adventure.[6]

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant School Beaufort SC

Beaufort SC medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days 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 select 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 Certified Medical Assistant Career. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan 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 in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Beaufort SC.