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Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to determine which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Juneau AK with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to look at when assessing programs. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the school you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must 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 either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Juneau AK employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the Program's Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to choose a program concentrating on 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 college's program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Juneau AK area medical providers. They are a great way to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students build relationships within the Juneau healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Getting that very first job may be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Juneau AK area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.
How Large are the Classes? Class size can 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 furnish greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a college to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it's essential that the college you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Juneau AK, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.