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Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Seattle WA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of 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 thinking about before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many good reasons to confirm that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Seattle WA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the Program's Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school's passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a college's program. Of course programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Seattle WA area medical care providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students develop relationships within the Seattle medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Help Provided? Finding that first job can be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Seattle WA 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 healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.
How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and just 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 essential that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Seattle WA, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still need to schedule any clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.