How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Summerton South Carolina
Once you have decided to enter the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Summerton SC, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? A number of potential students start by researching 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, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You may want to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have included a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.
The Function of a Medical Assistant
The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their job is ensure that the Summerton SC clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Providing general support during exams and procedures
Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under South Carolina law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the options available 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 Training
Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Summerton SC health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually 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 prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature 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 facility. Associate Degrees are often 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
There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent choice for students who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced also. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Summerton SC area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the ideal option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, 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 can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Summerton SC medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among 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 exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.
Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Summerton SC with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should explore when evaluating schools. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Summerton SC employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, verify that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Summerton SC area health care providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Summerton medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Service Provided? Landing that initial job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Summerton SC area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a few classes before selecting a school to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the program you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Summerton SC, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Summerton South Carolina?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Summerton SC area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Summerton, South Carolina
Summerton is in southwestern Clarendon County at 33°36′19″N 80°21′8″W / 33.60528°N 80.35222°W / 33.60528; -80.35222 (33.605145, -80.352159).[4]Interstate 95 passes just south of the town, with access from Exit 108. I-95 leads northeast 57 miles (92 km) to Florence and southwest 120 miles (190 km) to Savannah, Georgia. U.S. Routes 15 and 301 join in the center of Summerton. US 301 leads northeast 10 miles (16 km) to Manning, the Clarendon County seat, and US 15 leads north 23 miles (37 km) to Sumter, while the combined highways lead southwest 11 miles (18 km) to Santee.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,061 people, 452 households, and 285 families residing in the town. The population density was 919.3 people per square mile (356.2/km²). There were 516 housing units at an average density of 447.1 per square mile (173.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 39.77% White, 57.21% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 1.41% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.
There were 452 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were married couples living together, 24.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.00.
Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Program Summerton SC
It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal 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 info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by a recognized 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 Clinical Medical Assistant Schools. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Summerton SC.
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