Evening Medical Assistant Programs Piedmont SC - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Piedmont South Carolina

Piedmont SC medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Piedmont SC, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? A number of future students start by evaluating 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, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You may want to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all important 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 all 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 kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

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

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

While medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are authorized to under South Carolina law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices 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 Programs

Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Piedmont SC health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical component involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Piedmont SC There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good alternative for individuals who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced as well. But keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be carried out in Piedmont SC area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your training might be the best option for you. With 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 stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for those who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some potential Piedmont SC medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps 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 be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Piedmont SC medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Piedmont SC with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must look at when assessing programs. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make sure that the school you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Piedmont SC employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must determine 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 naturally you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive 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 choose to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Piedmont SC area medical care providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They can also help students establish relationships within the Piedmont medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Finding that first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Piedmont SC area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s important that the program you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Piedmont SC, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, 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 Piedmont South Carolina?

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

Piedmont, South Carolina

Native Americans and early settlers of Piedmont called the area "Big Shoals of the Saluda" after the Saluda River. The Native Americans used the shoals as a crossing. David Garrison established a grist mill around 1850 upon the shoals changing the name of the area to Garrison Shoals. Henry Pinckney Hammett bought this property for his cotton mill that used water power of the shoals. The name of the area changed again to Piedmont, "Foot of the Mountains" and became a mill town. The American Civil War disrupted Hammett's project until 1876 when his plant began operations. Piedmont was added to Hammett's charter for Piedmont Manufacturing Company and a railroad station. Water power from the Saluda River was also used to produce electricity to run the machinery from the 1880s to the 1920s. The machinery of the Piedmont Manufacturing Company was from Saco Lowell and Whitin Machine Works that helped finance Hammett's company.[4] In 1946 the mills were sold to J.P. Stevens and Company where it then was updated with modern features. Manufacturing continued until 1977 and in 1983 most of Piedmont Manufacturing Company burned down.[5]

Piedmont is located in northern Anderson County and southwestern Greenville County at 34°42′15″N 82°27′41″W / 34.70417°N 82.46139°W / 34.70417; -82.46139 (34.704140, -82.461427).[6] It is 12 miles (19 km) south of the center of Greenville. Exit 35 on Interstate 85 is 2 miles (3 km) to the west of the center of Piedmont. South Carolina state road 86 cuts through the small town also, connecting with Interstate 85 at Exit 35. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 8.8 square miles (22.7 km2), of which 8.6 square miles (22.3 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 1.93%, is water.[3] The Saluda River flows southwards over a dam through the center of town.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 4,684 people, 1,829 households, and 1,349 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 545.6 people per square mile (210.8/km²). There were 1,992 housing units at an average density of 232.0 per square mile (89.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.08% White, 5.85% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Program Piedmont SC

Piedmont SC medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Evening Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided 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 choosing the ideal program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Piedmont SC.