Schools That Offer Medical Assistant Spanaway WA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Spanaway Washington

Spanaway WA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Spanaway WA, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? Many potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors also. You may want to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included several questions that you should 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 type of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Spanaway WA nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their function is to make sure that the Spanaway WA clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but can 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 confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Washington law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Unlike most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Spanaway WA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at community and junior 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 training. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Spanaway WA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good option for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened as well. But bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Spanaway WA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the right choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for those who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential Spanaway WA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Spanaway WA medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Spanaway WA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should look at when assessing programs. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make certain that the college you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies 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 one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Spanaway WA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive 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 broader education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Spanaway WA 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 Spanaway medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Finding that very first job may be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Spanaway WA 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 a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the school you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Spanaway WA, 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 clinical training that may be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Spanaway Washington?

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

Spanaway, Washington

Spanaway is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 27,227 at the 2010 census. Spanaway is an unincorporated area near Tacoma, and is often identified together with the more urban, less wealthy Parkland.

The song "The Needle Has Landed" from Neko Case's CD Fox Confessor Brings the Flood mentions Spanaway in passing. Tacoma alternative pop/rock band Seaweed also released an album entitled Spanaway. Long Island, New York band The Movielife also has a song called "Spanaway".

Etymology: The Hudson's Bay Company, headquartered at Fort Nisqually, had control of this region until 1863. Company maps and journals show the company's subsidiary, the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company, raised cattle, grain, and sheep at "Spanueh Station" on the south and east shores of "Spanueh Lake." Spanueh is the Hudson Bay Company's spelling of the native Lushootseed spadue, which means "dug roots" referring to an area where camas and other edible roots can be found. Lushootseed underwent a loss of nasal consonants in the 1800s, so "Spanueh" simply transcribes an older pronunciation of what is now "Spadue".[3]

Pick the Right Medical Assistant College Spanaway WA

Spanaway WA medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Schools That Offer Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Spanaway WA.