How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Sterling City Texas
Once you have decided to join the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Sterling City TX, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Most future students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You may decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.
The Duties of a Medical Assistant
The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their function is to make sure that the Sterling City TX clinics, hospitals and other healthcare 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 practices 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. Some of the many functions of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and filing claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Providing general support during examinations and procedures
While medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Texas law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices 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 Programs
Unlike most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Sterling City TX health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often 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 four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Online Medical Assistant Courses
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent option for those who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized also. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be carried out in Sterling City TX area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education might be the best option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Sterling City TX medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Programs
Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you must determine which type of credential you want 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 start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many potential students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Sterling City TX with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to examine when evaluating schools. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive 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 program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Sterling City TX employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to choose 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 methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and obtain 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 decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Sterling City TX area medical providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Sterling City healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Help Provided? Landing that first job may be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Sterling City TX area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Large are the Classes? 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 instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s essential that the program you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Sterling City TX, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Sterling City Texas?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Sterling City TX area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Sterling City, Texas
Sterling City was named for W.S. Sterling, a buffalo hunter and Indian fighter. Land for the new town was donated in January 1891 by R.C. Stewart, and was platted by H.B. Tarver in February. That same year it was designated the seat of Sterling County. The town soon grew to 300 residents and had its own newspaper, a hotel, a post office, and several other businesses, and a school and three churches.[5]
During World War Two, Sterling City's population decreased by 10%. When it was incorporated in August, 1955, Sterling City had a population of some 800 and had added three more churches, a hospital, a bank, and a library.
On May 25, 1955, fifteen United States Air Force personnel, flying in a B-36 bomber under the callsign Abbot 27, perished in a crash near Sterling City.[7] The airmen were members of the 40th Bomb Squadron of the 6th Bombardment Wing at Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, New Mexico. A monument in their honor was erected in 2007 at the Tom Green County Courthouse in San Angelo.
Pick the Best Medical Assistant Course Sterling City TX
It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re planning to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Description. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Sterling City TX.
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