Certified Medical Assistant Courses
How to Pick the Best One Near Bangor Maine
Once you have decided to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Bangor ME, it's time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? A number of prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. Job placement and intership programs as well as accreditation are equally important if not more so as cost and location. You might choose to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). Irrespective of your leaning toward either on campus or online scholastics, the main point is that you must perform your due diligence before you select a school. And to help you with that task, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the schools on your "maybe" list. But prior to starting that review, let's briefly talk about the kind of credentials and training that are available.
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Medical Assistant Education
Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Bangor ME health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we'll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare 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 related field.
Medical Assistant Certification Programs
As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for those who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Bangor ME medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
Online Medical Assistant Courses
There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good alternative for students who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced also. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Bangor ME area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the ideal choice for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.
What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Bangor ME with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must explore when researching schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Bangor ME employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the School's Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, 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 instance, then naturally you will want 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 just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college's program. Of course schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about two years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Bangor ME area medical providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students build relationships within the Bangor medical community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Getting that very first job can be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Bangor ME 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 a good reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator 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 provide increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before choosing a program to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full-time, it's important that the school you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Bangor ME, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Find Out How to Train to Become a Medical Assistant in Bangor
Choose the Right Bangor Medical Assistant Program
It's imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program 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 lifetime career, you must acquire the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, 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 on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Bangor Maine.
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