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What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs
Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to determine which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some prospective students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to East Liverpool OH with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should explore when assessing schools. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many good reasons to confirm that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged organizations for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective East Liverpool OH employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the Program's Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Second, find out 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 school's program. Obviously programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with East Liverpool OH area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the East Liverpool healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Finding that first job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the East Liverpool OH 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 medical community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it's imperative that the college you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near East Liverpool OH, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.