Medical Assistant School Time Mequon WI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Mequon Wisconsin

Mequon WI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Mequon WI, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? A number of potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues also. You may want to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have included some questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Mequon WI nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Mequon WI hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Wisconsin law, some choose 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Compared to most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Mequon WI health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at community and junior colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. 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 applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Mequon WI There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good choice for individuals who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be carried out in Mequon WI area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your training may be the right option for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Mequon WI medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Mequon WI medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of potential students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Mequon WI with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must examine when evaluating schools. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several good reasons to verify that the college you enroll in 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 enroll in 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 eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Mequon WI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs 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 targeting that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Mequon WI area health care providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Mequon health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Landing that first job may be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Mequon WI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Small 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 few classes before selecting a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the program you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Mequon WI, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Mequon Wisconsin?

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

Mequon, Wisconsin

The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans; by the early 19th century, the Potawatomi occupied land west of the Milwaukee River, while the Menominee lived between the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan.[6] European trappers, explorers and traders used the Milwaukee River through the middle of what is now Mequon as a means of transportation. The name "Mequon" is thought to have come from a Native-American word "Emikwaan" or "Miguan," meaning ladle, referring to the shape of the river in the area.[7] The spelling was probably influenced by the French in the area at the time. Alternatively, the name may come from an Algonquin word meaning "feather", as suggested by the current Menominee name of the town which is Mēkon.[8]

In 1833, poverty forced the Potawotami to sell this land along with all their other land holdings in southeastern Wisconsin. They had hoped that allying themselves with the United States in the Black Hawk War would help them maintain their land, but these hopes proved futile. Following the treaty, the Potawotami were illegally forced out of the territory before the eight year grace period guaranteed in the treaty had ended.[9] The expulsion of the Potawotami opened up the land for white settlement, and so between 1834 and 1836, a surveyor named Brink, along with his assistant Mr. Follett, surveyed the land to create the Town of Mequon.[6] The Menominee sold their land in the area in the Treaty of the Cedars in 1836. Around this time, settlers came from New York and England, soon followed by German and Irish immigrants. In 1839, a group of immigrants from Saxony settled near the Milwaukee River. In the same year, twenty families from Pomerania founded Freistadt (German: Free city) in the western part of the Town of Mequon. The first Lutheran church in Wisconsin was built by these families in 1840.

John Weston served as the first postmaster of the Town of Mequon, having settled in present-day Thiensville in 1837. He later sold his holdings to John Henry Thien. Thien, a wealthy immigrant from Saxony, had traveled north from Milwaukee and settled along the Milwaukee River, where his family built a dam and grist mill. Thien hosted the first town meeting for the Town of Mequon in 1846.[6] The area around his estate, one square mile in the middle of the Town of Mequon, was later incorporated as the village of Thiensville in 1910. The Town of Mequon was incorporated as a city in 1957.[10]

Choose the Best Medical Assistant Training Mequon WI

Mequon WI medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to obtain the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant School Time. But regardless of the kind 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 so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Mequon WI.