How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training School near Galax Virginia
Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Galax VA, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? A number of potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You might decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have included a few questions that you need to 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 available.
The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant
The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their function is to make sure that the Galax VA clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
- Scheduling and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Providing basic support during examinations and procedures
While medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are authorized 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) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Medical Assistant Education
Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Galax VA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about one year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Medical Assistant Online Programs
There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. 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 solution for students who continue working full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized also. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be completed in Galax VA area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for those who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing a job after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Galax VA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.
What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many potential students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Galax VA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when researching schools. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to make certain 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 plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Galax VA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to acquiring 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, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the schools you are considering offer the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Galax VA area medical care providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Galax health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Getting that very first job can be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Galax VA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can 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 prone to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the program you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Galax VA, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Galax Virginia?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Galax VA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Galax, Virginia
The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Galax with neighboring Carroll County for statistical purposes. Galax is bounded to the northeast by Carroll County and to the southwest by Grayson County.
The area that later became Galax was part of an 800-acre (320 ha) land grant given to James Buchanan in 1756 by the English Crown. The first plat map for Galax is dated December 1903;[5] The town founders selected the site for the city on a wide expanse of meadowland bisected by Chestnut Creek and sitting at an altitude of 2,500 feet on a plateau.[6] The Virginia General Assembly officially chartered the town of Galax in 1906.[7]
The town is named for Galax urceolata, an evergreen groundcover plant found throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. At the time, the plant was gathered and sold by many people in southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina as an ornamental plant; a Norfolk and Western Railway Company official suggested that the town be named for the plant.[7] The first Galax Agricultural Fair took place in September 1908, when Galax had 600 residents.[8]
Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Galax VA
It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the right info on available programs before making your selection. 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 addressed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Where Can I Get My Medical Assistant Certification. But regardless of the kind 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 supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Galax VA.
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