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What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Knik Fairview AK with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many great reasons to confirm that the program you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Knik Fairview AK employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the Program's Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the program's passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college's program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.
Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and obtain 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 decide to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, verify that the schools you are looking at provide the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Knik Fairview AK area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Knik Fairview medical community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Landing that first job may be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Knik Fairview AK area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a college to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it's imperative that the school you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Knik Fairview AK, make certain that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.