Accelerated Medical Assistant Programs Millington TN - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training School near Millington Tennessee

Millington TN medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Millington TN, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Many future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes 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 critical issues also. You may want to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have included some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Millington TN nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their role is ensure that the Millington TN clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices 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. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Tennessee law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Courses

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Millington TN health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a practical 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.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Millington TN There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent choice for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Millington TN area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the ideal option for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Millington TN medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Millington TN medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you have to 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 choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Millington TN with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should explore when assessing schools. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to confirm that the college you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in 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 one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Millington TN employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Millington TN area health care providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Millington medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Getting that initial job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Millington TN area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full time, it’s important 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 Millington TN, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol 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 Millington Tennessee?

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

Millington, Tennessee

Millington is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 10,176.[5] Millington was granted the title "Flag City Tennessee" by the Tennessee State Legislature. The Naval Support Activity Mid-South is located at the former Memphis Naval Air Station, which was changed functions from a training base to an administrative one in 1993. There is also a general aviation airport that features the third longest runway in Tennessee.

The city is located in the Memphis Metropolitan Area, about 9 miles (14 km) north of Memphis. The metropolitan area OF MEMPHIS has a population of approximately 1.2 million people. Millington is close to the Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, Fort Pillow State Park, and the Mississippi River.

The book Millington, The First Hundred Years by Faye Ellis Osteen (compiled of many stories that can not be proven fact or fictions, relies on individual witnesses and stories handed down by local families) and published by the Millington Centennial Committee outlines the history of Millington from its beginnings to the present. In 1878, Mr. and Mrs. George Millington donated a large area of land to a group of settlers for the purpose of starting a town. Mr. Millington requested that the new town be named in his honor. In 1888 the First Baptist Church was founded. It has over 5000 members. Its church is one of the largest buildings in Millington. In 1890, the first industry came to town. Since that time job growth has been sporadic and unfocused. Millington was officially chartered by the State of Tennessee in 1903. In 1917 the US military began its initial presence in Millington. Park Field was established as a pilot training facility. With the conclusion of World War I in 1918, military pilot training ceased. It was not until 1942, with the outbreak of World War II that the military would renew its interest in Millington. In 1928 Millington Telephone was established. This business brought modern communications to Millington and the surrounding region. At the outset of World War II the US Navy established the current airport as a training facility for Navy pilots. Consistently for many decades over 15,000 military personnel were assigned to Millington. The Navy brought prosperity to the community on an ongoing basis. In the 1980s the Base Realignment and Closure Commission began the process of downsizing the Millington Navy facility. Flight training was moved out of Millington. However, all US Navy personnel functions were relocated to the community. At present the military and associated private contracting creates a $335 million annual economic benefit to the region. In 1986 USA Stadium was developed by Mr. W. S. "Babe" Howard. This sporting facility brought recognition to Millington. International baseball was played here. The Stadium continues to be an economic asset for the community. In 1993 the Millington Regional Jetport was opened as a general aviation airport. It currently is the backup airport for Federal Express, or FedEx. [7]

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Training Millington TN

Millington TN 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 healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized agency, 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 Accelerated Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Millington TN.