Certified Medical Assistant Courses
How to Pick the Best One Near Schaumburg Illinois

It’s time to select and enroll in a medical assistant school near Schaumburg IL so you can get the right training to build a career in the rewarding field of healthcare. And in order to pick the right one you must research and compare all of the schools you have placed on your short list. Most prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are equally important if not more so as cost and location. Online medical assistant courses are an alternative that you may decide is a more advantageous way to get your training (more on that later). Irrespective of your preference for either on campus or online scholastics, the main point is that you must do your due diligence before you select a school. And to help you with that process, we have included some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your "maybe" list. But prior to starting that review, let's talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Medical Assistant Career Below!

Medical Assistant Job Duties 

The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Schaumburg IL hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

• Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
• Scheduling and verifying appointments
• Taking vital signs and weighing patients
• Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
• Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
• Giving general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Illinois law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Unlike many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Schaumburg IL health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor's Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Certification Programs

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting a job after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Schaumburg IL medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Medical Assistant Online Training

There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced also. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Schaumburg IL area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education may be the best option for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you must determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to Schaumburg IL with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you need to explore when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many great reasons to make certain that the school you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 examination. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Schaumburg IL employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program's Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, 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 of course you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the program's passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school's program. Naturally programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Schaumburg IL area health care providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the Schaumburg healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Getting that very first job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Schaumburg IL area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication 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 furnish greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a program to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it's important that the college you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Schaumburg IL, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also need to schedule any clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Learn More on How to Train to Become a CMA in Schaumburg

Choose the Right Schaumburg Medical Assistant Program

It's imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the right training. Regardless if you're goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. Regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Schaumburg Illinois.

 

Schaumburg Medical Assistant Programs | Schaumburg Medical Assistant Programs Near Me