Certified Medical Assistant Career Gloucester Point VA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Gloucester Point Virginia

Gloucester Point VA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Gloucester Point VA, 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 subsequently pick the best one? Most potential students start by researching 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 important issues also. You may 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 program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have included a few questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Gloucester Point VA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their job is to make sure that the Gloucester Point VA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare 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 practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

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

Medical Assistant Training Courses

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Gloucester Point VA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed 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 usually 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a practical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Gloucester Point VA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good choice for those who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened also. But remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Gloucester Point VA area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the right choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a position after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Gloucester Point VA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit 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 offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Gloucester Point VA medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Gloucester Point VA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make sure that the program you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved organizations 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 agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Gloucester Point 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 schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to accomplish 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 Provided? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Gloucester Point VA area healthcare providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Gloucester Point medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Landing that first job may be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Gloucester Point VA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s important that the program you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Gloucester Point VA, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Gloucester Point Virginia?

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

Gloucester Point, Virginia

Gloucester Point is a census-designated place (CDP) in Gloucester County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,402 at the 2010 census.[3] It is home to the College of William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science, a graduate school for the study of oceanography.

Gloucester Point is located in southern Gloucester County at 37°16′12″N 76°29′55″W / 37.27000°N 76.49861°W / 37.27000; -76.49861 (37.269907, −76.498604),[4] on the north side of the York River in southeastern Virginia. To the south across the river on U.S. Route 17 and the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge is Yorktown, site of the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War. From Gloucester Point, US 17 leads south through Yorktown 18 miles (29 km) to the center of Newport News and north 12 miles (19 km) to Gloucester Courthouse, the Gloucester County seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Gloucester Point CDP has a total area of 16.4 square miles (42.4 km2), of which 9.4 square miles (24.3 km2) are land and 7.0 square miles (18.1 km2), or 42.58%, are water,[3] consisting of the tidal York River and its inlets, including Sarah Creek and part of Timberneck Creek.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Gloucester Point VA

Gloucester Point VA medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Career. 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, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Gloucester Point VA.