National Medical Assistant Lehi UT - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School near Lehi Utah

Lehi UT medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Lehi UT, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? Many prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean 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 issues as well. You may choose to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Lehi UT nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their function is ensure that the Lehi UT hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing general support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Utah law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and attain 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 Courses

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Lehi UT health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly 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

woman attending medical assistant school online in Lehi UT There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good alternative for those who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized also. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Lehi UT area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the best choice for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Lehi UT medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of 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 examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Lehi UT medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. Once those selections have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Lehi UT with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to explore when assessing schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to ensure that the program you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Lehi UT employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Next, 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. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Lehi UT area medical providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students develop relationships within the Lehi medical community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Landing that initial job may be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Lehi UT area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a few classes before selecting a college to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s important that the college you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Lehi UT, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Lehi Utah?

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

Lehi, Utah

Lehi (/ˈliːhaɪ/ LEE-hy) is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is named after Lehi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon. The population was 47,407 at the 2010 census,[3] up from 19,028 in 2000. The center of population of Utah is located in Lehi.[4]

A group of Mormon pioneers settled the area now known as Lehi in the fall of 1850 at a place called Dry Creek in the northernmost part of Utah Valley. It was renamed Evansville in 1851 after David Evans, a local bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other historical names include Sulphur Springs and Snow's Springs.[5]

The land was organized into parcels of 40 acres (160,000 m2), and new settlers received a plot of this size until the entire tract was exhausted. There was little water to irrigate the rich soil, so it became necessary to divert a portion of American Fork Creek. Evansville consumed up to one-third of the creek's water, as authorized by the Utah Territorial Legislature.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Lehi UT

Lehi UT medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in National Medical Assistant. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Lehi UT.