Certified Medical Assistant Schools Prescott WI - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Prescott Wisconsin

Prescott WI medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Prescott WI, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick 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 cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors also. You may want to look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask each 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 kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Prescott WI nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their function is to make sure that the Prescott WI hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work run successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Wisconsin 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 Education

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Prescott WI health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about a year to finish, 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 option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs available at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare 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.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Prescott WI There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good option for students who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized as well. But keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be carried out in Prescott WI area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the right 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, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Prescott WI medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Prescott WI medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you must choose which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Prescott WI with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should examine when researching programs. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many great reasons to make certain that the college you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Prescott WI employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to enroll in 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. Doing this is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt 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 enroll in, make certain that the schools you are reviewing provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Prescott WI area health care providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Prescott medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Getting that initial job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Prescott WI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a school to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s essential that the college you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Prescott WI, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still have to schedule all internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Prescott Wisconsin?

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

Prescott, Wisconsin

Prescott is a city in Pierce County, Wisconsin at the confluence of the St. Croix River and Mississippi River. The population was 4,258 at the 2010 census, making it the second-largest city in the county after River Falls, and the largest entirely within Pierce County.

Prescott is located at 44°45′6″N 92°47′35″W / 44.75167°N 92.79306°W / 44.75167; -92.79306 (44.751567, -92.793141).[6] It is the westernmost incorporated community in Wisconsin, although rural portions of Burnett and Polk counties are further west. Prescott, along with the rest of Pierce County, is officially a part of the Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, with many residents of Prescott commuting to Minneapolis or Saint Paul for employment or education.

Prescott is served by US 10, WIS 35 and WIS 29. US 10 runs west to the Twin Cities and east to the county seat in Ellsworth. WIS 35 runs along Wisconsin's western border. From Prescott, it runs north toward River Falls and Hudson, although County Road F provides a more direct connection to Hudson. WIS 35 runs south along the Mississippi River through rural areas all the way to La Crosse, although the highway provides easy access to Red Wing, Minnesota via US 63. WIS 29 has its western terminus at Prescott. It runs east to River Falls, Menomonie, Chippewa Falls, Wausau, and Green Bay before ending in Kewaunee.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant College Prescott WI

Prescott WI medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Schools. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be 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 subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Prescott WI.