Medical Assistant Classes Wakefield VA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Wakefield Virginia

Wakefield VA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Wakefield VA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? A number of future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest 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 also. You might decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Wakefield VA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Wakefield VA hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Virginia law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices 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 Education

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Wakefield VA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to finish, 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 acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. 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 Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Wakefield VA There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent option for individuals 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 attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. But keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be completed in Wakefield VA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the right option for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for individuals who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting a position after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Wakefield VA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. 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). To qualify to take the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate 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.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Wakefield VA medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to choose 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 selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Wakefield VA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you should explore when evaluating schools. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many great reasons to make sure that the college you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the training 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 accepted 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 either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Wakefield VA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in 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 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about 2 years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Wakefield VA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the Wakefield healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Finding that very first job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Wakefield VA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Wakefield VA, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Wakefield Virginia?

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

Wakefield, Virginia

Wakefield is widely known for the Virginia Diner, the Airfield Conference and 4-H Educational Center and the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office for Eastern Virginia, which issues weather alerts for the region.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.3 km2), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.2 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (3.10%) is water.

Wakefield, one of several stops along the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad in pre-civil war Virginia, is thought to have been named by William Mahone(1826-1895), then president of the N&P, and his wife Otelia Butler Mahone as they traveled the newly completed railroad in 1858. According to local lore, the name came from the Sir Walter Scott novel Ivanhoe, which Mrs. Mahone was reading at the time. The towns of Windsor and Waverly are said to have received their names the same way.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant School Wakefield VA

Wakefield VA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in health care 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 selection. There are so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection 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 plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Classes. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Wakefield VA.