Accelerated Medical Assistant Programs Lewisville TX - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Lewisville Texas

Lewisville TX medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Lewisville TX, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Most potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors also. You might decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have included some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Lewisville TX nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their job is ensure that the Lewisville TX clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Texas law, some choose to specialize in a particular 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 required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Lewisville TX 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 generally 2 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, some 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 obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a practical component requiring 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.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Lewisville TX There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent choice for individuals who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized as well. But keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be carried out in Lewisville TX area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your education might be the best choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for individuals who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential Lewisville TX medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Lewisville TX medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to Lewisville TX with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you need to explore when assessing programs. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the program you select 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 plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 school is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Lewisville TX employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, 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 obviously you will want to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, verify that the schools you are considering offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Lewisville TX area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Lewisville healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Landing that initial job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Lewisville TX area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher 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 Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will get during 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 monitor a few classes before selecting a school to witness 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 working full time, it’s essential that the school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Lewisville TX, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Lewisville Texas?

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

Lewisville, Texas

Lewisville (/ˈluːɪsvɪl/ LOO-iss-vil) is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States. It is a suburb within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The 2000 United States Census placed the city's population at 77,737 and the 2010 Census placed it at 95,290, making it one of the fastest-growing city populations in the United States and the 33rd most populous in Texas.[6] It occupies 36.4 square miles (94 km2) of land and includes 6.07 square miles (15.7 km2) of Lewisville Lake.[3]

Originally called Holford's Prairie, Lewisville dates back to the early 1840s.[7] The arrival of the town's first railroad in 1881 engendered its initial growth, and the expansion of the area's transportation infrastructure spurred further development in the early part of the 20th century.[8] Lewisville incorporated in 1925, and when construction of Lewisville Lake was completed in the 1950s, the city began to expand rapidly.

Lewisville's consistently warm climate and proximity to Lewisville Lake have made it a recreational hub of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The city's municipal government, led by a nonpartisan city council, focuses its recreational and cultural investments on facilities such as Toyota of Lewisville Park and the MCL Grand Theater. The area's transportation infrastructure has evolved around the I-35 Corridor along Interstate 35E. The diversity of its population and industry has created a stable economic climate. Lewisville Independent School District provides most of the area's public education programs.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant School Lewisville TX

Lewisville TX medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Accelerated Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Lewisville TX.