How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training Program near Huntsville Tennessee
Once you have decided to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Huntsville TN, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Most prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You may decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished several questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” 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 Role of a Medical Assistant
The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Huntsville TN clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work operate successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and filing 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
While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are authorized to under Tennessee law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and obtain 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
In contrast to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Huntsville TN health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Medical Assistant Online Schools
There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good alternative for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened also. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be performed in Huntsville TN area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your training may be the best option for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Huntsville TN medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.
Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Huntsville TN with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should examine when assessing programs. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to verify that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Huntsville TN employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.
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 receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Huntsville TN area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Huntsville medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Landing that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Huntsville TN area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might 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 offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Huntsville TN, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also need to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Huntsville Tennessee?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Huntsville TN area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Huntsville, Tennessee
Huntsville is a town in Scott County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 981 at the 2000 census and 1,248 at the 2010 census, showing an increase of 267. It is the county seat of Scott County.[6]
Huntsville was named after a long hunter known only by the surname "Hunt." This long hunter camped under a rock shelter in the mid-18th century and later moved his family to the area. When Scott County was formed in 1849, Huntsville was chosen as the county seat due to the site's central location within the new county as well as an excellent spring that flowed across the property.[7]
During the U.S. Civil War, Scott County was staunchly pro-Union. In Tennessee's June 1861 referendum on secession, the county voted 541-19 against secession, the highest percentage of any county in Tennessee. In spite of fierce opposition from Scott and other East Tennessee counties, the ordinance passed and Tennessee seceded from the Union. Later that year, Scott County voted unanimously to secede from Tennessee and formed the Independent State of Scott.[8][9]
Pick the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Huntsville TN
It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon 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, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How To Become A Certified Medical Assistant. 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 supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Huntsville TN.
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