How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training Program near Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin
Once you have decided to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Sturgeon Bay WI, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of future students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You may decide to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.
The Job of Medical Assistants
The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their job is ensure that the Sturgeon Bay WI clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and filing claims
- Scheduling and verifying appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
- Providing basic support during examinations and procedures
While medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Wisconsin law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the options 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 Courses
Compared to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Sturgeon Bay WI health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed 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 usually 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Medical Assistant Online Colleges
There are many 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 fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Sturgeon Bay WI area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education may be the right choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform 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 graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some possible Sturgeon Bay WI medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. 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 apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Sturgeon Bay WI with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must look at when assessing schools. To help you with that process, 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 verify that the school you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction 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 acknowledged organizations 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Sturgeon Bay WI employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, 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 evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Sturgeon Bay WI area health care providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Sturgeon Bay medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Getting that initial job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Sturgeon Bay WI area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the college you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Sturgeon Bay WI, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Sturgeon Bay WI area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Sturgeon Bay is a city in and the county seat of Door County, Wisconsin, United States.[4] The population was 9,144 at the 2010 census. It is located at the natural end of Sturgeon Bay, although the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal was built across the remainder of the Door Peninsula.
Traditionally, this area was inhabited by the Ho-Chunk and Menominee. The town is known in the Menominee language as Namāēw-Wīhkit, or "bay of the sturgeon".[5] The Menominee ceded this territory to the United States in the 1836 Treaty of the Cedars following years of negotations with the Ho-Chunk and the United States government over how to accommodate the incoming populations of Oneida, Stockbridge-Munsee, and Brothertown peoples who had been removed from New York.[6] After that, the area was available for white settlement. In 1891, Charles Mitchell Whiteside (1854-1924), member of the Wisconsin Assembly, sponsored a bill that merged the community of Sawyer, Wisconsin with Sturgeon Bay.[7]
Sturgeon Bay is located at 44°49′56″N 87°22′19″W / 44.83222°N 87.37194°W / 44.83222; -87.37194 (44.813376, -87.372076).[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.66 square miles (30.20 km2), of which, 9.82 square miles (25.43 km2) is land and 1.84 square miles (4.77 km2) is water.[1]
Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Program Sturgeon Bay WI
It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re planning to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training School. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend 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 provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Sturgeon Bay WI.
More Medical Locations in Wisconsin
Business Results 1 - 10 of 1
2 Reviews 