Medical Assistant Registration Clifton VA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training School near Clifton Virginia

Clifton VA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Clifton VA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? Many potential students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You might choose to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Clifton VA nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their job is to make sure that the Clifton VA clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities 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 responsibilities 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 tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Virginia law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options available 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 Programs

In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Clifton VA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a practical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Clifton VA There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent choice for students who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Clifton VA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the right option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for those who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Clifton VA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably 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, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Clifton VA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to determine which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Clifton VA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must examine when evaluating programs. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the school you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee 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 acknowledged agencies 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 either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Clifton VA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are considering offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Clifton VA area health care providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Clifton medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Finding that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Clifton VA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout 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 convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the program you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Clifton VA, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or clinical training that will 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 issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Clifton Virginia?

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

Clifton, Virginia

Incorporated by the General Assembly on March 9, 1902, Clifton is one of only three towns in the county, the other two being Vienna and Herndon. Clifton's history begins pre-colonially, when the area was used as hunting grounds by the local Dogue Native American tribe. A railroad siding was constructed here during the Civil War, and the area became titled as Devereux Station. A nearby neighborhood on the outskirts of the Clifton ZIP code has this name. Development of a village at the siding began in 1868 when a railroad depot, named "Clifton Station", was constructed.

Unlike most areas in Northern Virginia, the land around Clifton is far less built up than nearby areas, especially to its east and southwest. This was out of the worry that overdevelopment near Bull Run and the Occoquan River would be environmentally damaging to the Occoquan Reservoir. Consequently, as development edged near the area in the late 1970s and early 1980s, an ordinance was enacted stating that only one building could be placed on 5-acre (20,000 m2) parcels that have not already been divided. Today, the southern and eastern portions of the area are heavily forested, with single-family homes, while the northern area has become equestrian areas.

Before the arrival of European settlers, the present-day Clifton area was part of the hunting grounds used by Algonquin-speaking members of the Dogue tribe. The Dogue lived in villages and towns along the Potomac River and nearby Occoquan River. They carved bowls out of soapstone found in the area.[4]

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Clifton VA

Clifton VA medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Registration. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision 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 selecting the ideal program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Clifton VA.