How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near West Townshend Vermont
Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near West Townshend VT, it’s time to select a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Many future students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors also. You might decide 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 need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.
The Function of Medical Assistants
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the West Townshend VT hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Based 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 providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
- Setting and confirming appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Providing general support during exams and procedures
Although medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Vermont law, some choose to specialize in a specific 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 Training
Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many West Townshend VT health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options available for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about a 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 acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently 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 Classes
There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good choice for individuals who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in West Townshend VT area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the ideal choice for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a position after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential West Townshend VT medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to West Townshend VT with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you must look at when assessing schools. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many good reasons to verify that the college you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective West Townshend VT employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, learn 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 ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, make certain that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with West Townshend VT area health care providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the West Townshend medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Getting that first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the West Townshend VT 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 an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a program to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the program you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near West Townshend VT, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near West Townshend Vermont?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the West Townshend VT area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Townshend, Vermont
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.8 square miles (110.8 km2), of which 42.7 square miles (110.6 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2) (0.14%) is water. The West River flows through the town.[4]
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,149 people, 469 households, and 319 families residing in the town. The population density was 26.9 people per square mile (10.4/km2). There were 668 housing units at an average density of 15.6 per square mile (6.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.82% White, 0.26% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.78% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.
There were 469 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.84.
Select the Right Medical Assistant Training West Townshend VT
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Certification Online. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in West Townshend VT.
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