How Long To Get Medical Assistant Certification Fairfax VA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Fairfax Virginia

Fairfax VA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Fairfax VA, it’s time to select a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? A number of potential students begin by evaluating 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 very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You might decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask all of the schools on your “maybe” 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 Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Fairfax VA nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Fairfax VA clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work operate successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

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

Medical Assistant Training Programs

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Fairfax VA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about 1 year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a practical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Fairfax VA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent alternative for students who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. But bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be performed in Fairfax VA area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the best option for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for individuals who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting a position after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Fairfax VA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Fairfax VA medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Fairfax VA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to look at when researching schools. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several good reasons to verify that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to 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 program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Fairfax VA 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 colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, verify that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Fairfax VA area health care providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Fairfax health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Getting that first job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Fairfax VA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size can be an indication of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a college to experience 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 program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the school you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Fairfax VA, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Fairfax Virginia?

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

Fairfax, Virginia

Fairfax (/ˈfɛərfæks/ FAIR-faks), colloquially known as Fairfax Courthouse, Downtown Fairfax, or Fairfax City, and officially named the City of Fairfax, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States.[3] As of the 2010 census the population was 22,565,[4] which had risen to an estimated 24,013 as of 2015.[5]

The city of Fairfax and the area immediately surrounding the historical border of the city of Fairfax, collectively designated by Fairfax County as "Fairfax", comprise the county seat of Fairfax County. The city is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as a part of Northern Virginia. The city is 17 miles (27 km) west of Washington, D.C. The Washington Metro's Orange Line serves Fairfax through its Vienna station, which is a mile northeast of the city limits. CUE Bus and Metrobus operate in Fairfax. Virginia Railway Express's Burke Centre station is situated three miles southeast of the city's boundaries. Virginia's largest public educational institution with 35,189 students in 2017 is George Mason University, which is located in unincorporated Fairfax County, along the city's southern border.[6]

The city derives its name from Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, who was awarded 5,000,000 acres (20,000 km2) of land in northern Virginia by King Charles.[7] The area that the city now encompasses was settled in the early 18th century by farmers from Virginia's Tidewater region.[8] The town of "Providence" was established on the site by an act of the state legislature in 1805.[9]

Select the Right Medical Assistant Training Fairfax VA

Fairfax VA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the right info 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 on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long To Get Medical Assistant Certification. 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, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Fairfax VA.