Good Medical Assistant Schools Shenandoah VA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Shenandoah Virginia

Shenandoah VA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Shenandoah VA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? Many prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You might want to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Shenandoah VA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Shenandoah VA clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Virginia law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and attain 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 Training

In contrast to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Shenandoah VA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to complete, 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 earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Shenandoah VA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened also. But keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be completed in Shenandoah VA area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your education might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for those who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting a position after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Shenandoah VA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Shenandoah VA medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Shenandoah VA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should explore when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to verify that the school you choose is accredited. First, 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 enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Shenandoah VA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want 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. This is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about 2 years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Shenandoah VA area medical providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Shenandoah medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Landing that very first job may be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Shenandoah VA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might 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 likely to offer increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before enrolling in a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the program you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Shenandoah VA, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Also, 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 Shenandoah Virginia?

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

Shenandoah River

The Shenandoah River /ˌʃɛnənˈdoʊə/ is a tributary of the Potomac River, 55.6 miles (89.5 km) long with two forks approximately 100 miles (160 km) long each,[3] in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. The principal tributary of the Potomac, the river and its tributaries drain the central and lower Shenandoah Valley and the Page Valley in the Appalachians on the west side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in northwestern Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.[2]

The Shenandoah River is formed northeast of Front Royal near Riverton, by the confluence of the South Fork and the North Fork. It flows northeast across Warren County, passing underneath Interstate 66 1 mile (1.6 km) from its formation. Beyond the I-66 bridge the river flows through a set of bends before turning to the northeast again, crossing into Clarke County 11 miles (18 km) below I-66. Five miles (8 km) downriver from the Clarke County border, the Shenandoah passes under U.S. Route 50 and then passes through a triple bend. 14.5 miles (23.3 km) below the Route 50 bridge, the river passes underneath State Route 7 and then continues northeast another 8 miles (13 km) where it crosses into Jefferson County in West Virginia, in the extreme eastern tip of the state. Once in West Virginia the river completes six large bends before joining with the Potomac from the southwest near Harpers Ferry. The confluence is on the West Virginia-Maryland border and 0.4 miles (0.64 km) from the Virginia-West Virginia border.[4]

The Shenandoah valley is underlain by limestone. The fertile soil made it a favored place for early settlement. It continues to be a major agricultural area of Virginia and West Virginia. Some karst topography is evident, and the limestone is honeycombed with caves. Several have been developed as commercial tourist attractions, including Luray Caverns, Shenandoah Caverns, and Skyline Caverns.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Training Shenandoah VA

Shenandoah VA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re planning to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Good Medical Assistant Schools. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Shenandoah VA.