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Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to Campton IL with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must explore when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to confirm that the program you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Campton IL employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the School's Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Second, ask what the program's passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college's program. Of course programs with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths 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, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the schools you are looking at provide the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Campton IL area medical providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students build relationships within the Campton medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Help Offered? Landing that initial job can be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Campton IL area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, 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 Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it's imperative that the college you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Campton IL, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also have to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.