How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Dayton Tennessee
Once you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Dayton TN, it’s time to select a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? Many prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You may decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about 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 colleges you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.
The Role of Medical Assistants
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the Dayton TN clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
- Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
- Giving basic support during examinations and procedures
While medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Tennessee law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options 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 Training Programs
Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Dayton TN 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 choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. 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.
Online Medical Assistant Colleges
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent option for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. But bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Dayton TN area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the ideal option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Dayton TN medical employers simply will not hire 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 examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you must determine which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Dayton TN with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should look at when researching programs. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several good reasons to make certain that the college you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete 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 program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Dayton TN employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Dayton TN area healthcare providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Dayton healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Service Provided? Landing that initial job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Dayton TN area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a school to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Dayton TN, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also 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 might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Dayton Tennessee?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Dayton TN area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Dayton, Tennessee
Dayton is a city and county seat in Rhea County, Tennessee, United States.[7] As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,191.[3] The Dayton Urban Cluster, which includes developed areas adjacent to the city and extends south to Graysville, had 10,174 people in 2010.
The community was originally settled circa 1820 as Smith's Crossroads. In 1877, the town was renamed Dayton, after Dayton, Ohio.[8] The town was incorporated in 1903. Early industry included manufacture of pig iron.
In 1925, the famous Scopes Trial was held in Dayton and, for a period of time, filled the town with hucksters of every description and journalists from around the world. The participants included William Jennings Bryan in the role of prosecutor and Clarence Darrow as the principal defense counsel. The trial was over the issue of whether evolution should be taught in public schools. John T. Scopes, the defendant in the trial, was a local science teacher who was recruited by George Rappleyea to begin to teach evolution in his science class, and at the provocation of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), despite it being against Tennessee law at that time. Rappleyea believed that this conflict would create an enormous amount of publicity for the town, and he was proven correct.[9] The town bustled with activity as people began to flock from near and far to hear the verdict on this controversial issue.
Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Dayton TN
It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch 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 prior to making your decision. There are so many schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Clinical Medical Assistant Training. But irrespective of the kind 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 supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Dayton TN.
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