Become A Certified Medical Assistant Centreville VA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Centreville Virginia

Centreville VA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Centreville VA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Many potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You may decide to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Centreville VA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Centreville VA clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work operate successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Virginia law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

Unlike most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Centreville VA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs offered at junior and community 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 element involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Centreville VA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good choice for students who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened also. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be carried out in Centreville VA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training may be the right choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in getting a position after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Centreville VA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of 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). In order to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Centreville VA medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Centreville VA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must examine when assessing programs. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to ensure that the school you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training 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 acknowledged 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 anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Centreville VA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Centreville VA area healthcare providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Centreville healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Landing that first job may be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Centreville VA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Centreville VA, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Centreville Virginia?

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

Centreville, Virginia

Centreville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 71,135 at the 2010 census.[3] Centreville is approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Washington, DC.

Beginning in the 1760s, the area was known as Newgate due to the popularity of the conveniently-located Newgate tavern. William Carr Lane operated the tavern and was co-proprietor of a nearby store with James Lane, Jr.[4] The Lanes sold convicted servants, which may explain why the tavern had the same name as a London prison.[5] The small stream that passed near the tavern was named the River Thames, another London association.[6] Another reason for it being named Newgate, was the fact that it was a "new gate" to the western territories.

The town of Centerville (shortly thereafter spelled Centreville) was established in 1792 on the turnpike road at the village of Newgate by the Virginia General Assembly in response to petitions by local landowners.[7] The petitioners reasoned that a town on the turnpike road leading from the Northwest Territory and centrally located to Alexandria, Colchester, Dumfries, Middleburg, George Town (later Georgetown), Fauquier Court House (later Warrenton), and Leesburg would be convenient. The town acquired its name due to its central location. James Hardage Lane, one of the landowners, conceived the idea of the town as a way to provide financial support to his widow and their children.[8] At the town's inception, it was within the boundary of Loudoun County, Virginia, and became part of Fairfax County, Virginia in 1798 when the boundary between the two counties shifted.[9]

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant College Centreville VA

Centreville VA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Become A Certified Medical Assistant. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Centreville VA.