Certify Medical Assistant Stafford VA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School Program near Stafford Virginia

Stafford VA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Stafford VA, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You might decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Stafford VA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their job is ensure that the Stafford VA clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Virginia law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the choices 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 Courses

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Stafford VA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Stafford VA There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent choice for individuals who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened as well. Just remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be carried out in Stafford VA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for individuals who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting a position after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Stafford VA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. 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 take the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Stafford VA medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to decide 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 start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Stafford VA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you should explore when assessing schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to confirm that the college you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved organizations 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Stafford VA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Next, ask 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 prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about two years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, verify that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Stafford VA area health care providers. They are a great means to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Stafford health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Getting that initial job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Stafford 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 suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get 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 practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a college to witness what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the college you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Stafford VA, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Stafford Virginia?

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

Stafford, Virginia

Stafford is a census-designated place (listed as Stafford Courthouse) in and the county seat of Stafford County in the northern part of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia.[1] The population of Stafford County as of the 2010 United States Census was 142,003.[2] It lies 10 miles (16 km) north of Fredericksburg, approximately 40 miles (64 km) south of metropolitan Washington, D.C., and about 60 miles (97 km) north of Richmond, the Commonwealth capital. The Marine Corps Base Quantico is located north of the community. Stafford Courthouse is located at the intersections of U.S. Highway 1, and Courthouse Road.

English sea captain Samuel Argall abducted the Pamunkey princess Pocahontas near this area on April 13, 1613, while she was residing with her Patawomeck husband, Kocoum, in an attempt to secure some English prisoners for release and ammunition held by her father. It occurred in the northeastern part of this county, from where the colonists took her to a secondary English settlement, known as Henricus or Henrico Town. The vicar Alexander Whitaker converted Pocahontas to Christianity during her captivity. He renamed her "Rebecca" at her baptism. Rebecca married English colonist John Rolfe on April 5, 1614, in Jamestown.[3][4]

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Training Stafford VA

Stafford VA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Whether 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 obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certify Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Stafford VA.