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Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Killeen TX with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to look at when assessing schools. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the program you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Killeen TX employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the Program's Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at 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 concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the program's passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college's program. Obviously programs with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.
Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, 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, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, confirm 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 colleges sponsor internship programs with Killeen TX area medical providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students develop relationships within the Killeen medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Finding that very first job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Killeen TX area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classes? Class size can be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it's essential that the school you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Killeen TX, confirm 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 all internships or practical training that may be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.