Certified Medical Assistant Career Shepherdstown WV - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Program near Shepherdstown West Virginia

Shepherdstown WV medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Shepherdstown WV, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Many prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors also. You might decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting 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 Shepherdstown WV nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Shepherdstown WV hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

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

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under West Virginia law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options 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 Courses

Unlike many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Shepherdstown WV 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 choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about a year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the diploma or certificate 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 medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Shepherdstown WV There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good alternative for students who might not have 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 pursuing their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be carried out in Shepherdstown WV area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the best choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Shepherdstown WV medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Shepherdstown WV medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Shepherdstown WV with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should examine when assessing programs. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the college you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education 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 accepted agencies for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Shepherdstown WV employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose 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 about 1 year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are reviewing provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Shepherdstown WV area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Shepherdstown healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Landing that very first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Shepherdstown WV area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much individual instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the college you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Shepherdstown WV, make certain that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Shepherdstown West Virginia?

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

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, in the United States, located in the lower Shenandoah Valley along the Potomac River. Home to Shepherd University, the town's population was 1,734 at the 2010 census.

Shepherdstown is located at 39°25′55″N 77°48′22″W / 39.43194°N 77.80611°W / 39.43194; -77.80611 (39.432005, −77.806108),[5] in the lower Shenandoah Valley along the Potomac River in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,734 people, 518 households, and 192 families residing in the town. The population density was 4,686.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,809.5/km2). There were 583 housing units at an average density of 1,575.7 per square mile (608.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 85.5% White, 9.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.

Select the Right Medical Assistant Training Shepherdstown WV

Shepherdstown WV medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as 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 Certified Medical Assistant Career. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Shepherdstown WV.