Medical Assistant Major Mauldin SC - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School near Mauldin South Carolina

Mauldin SC medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Mauldin SC, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many potential students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean 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 also. You may choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have included a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Mauldin SC nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Mauldin SC hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under South Carolina law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Mauldin SC health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two options available for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about one year to finish, 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 acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Mauldin SC There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent choice for those who may not have time to attend 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 earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be completed in Mauldin SC area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your training may be the right choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Mauldin SC medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of 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 take the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Mauldin SC medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Mauldin SC with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to explore when researching schools. To assist you with that process, 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 several great reasons to ensure that the program you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Mauldin SC employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to find out which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. 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 one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Mauldin SC area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Mauldin medical community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Getting that initial job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Mauldin SC area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Mauldin SC, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, find out what the protocol 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 Mauldin South Carolina?

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

Mauldin, South Carolina

Mauldin is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 15,224 at the 2000 census, 22,889 in 2010,[3] and an estimated 25,135 in 2015. It is a principal city of the Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Mauldin is located south of the center of Greenville County, between the city of Greenville to the northwest and Simpsonville to the southeast. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.0 square miles (25.9 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.46%, are water.[3]

U.S. Route 276 (Main Street) passes through the center of Mauldin, leading northwest 8 miles (13 km) to the center of Greenville and southeast 5 miles (8 km) to Simpsonville. Interstate 385 runs through the eastern side of Mauldin, leading north to Interstate 85 on the east side of Greenville. I-385 connects with Interstate 185 on the southern edge of Mauldin, and I-185 continues west and northwest 13 miles (21 km) to join I-85 on the southwest side of Greenville. From its interchange with I-185, I-385 leads southeast 30 miles (48 km) to Interstate 26 near Clinton.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant School Mauldin SC

Mauldin SC medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Mauldin SC.