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Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some prospective students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Patchogue NY with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should look at when assessing programs. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make sure that the program you choose 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 enroll in 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 program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be qualified 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 mentioned previously, many prospective Patchogue NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the Program's Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create 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 considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the program's passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school's program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are looking at provide the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Patchogue NY area medical providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Patchogue medical community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Help Offered? Landing that very first job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Patchogue NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.
How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before enrolling in a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it's important that the college you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Patchogue NY, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.