What You Need to Know About Medical Assistant Online Training Programs

Are ONLINE Medical Assistant Programs Legit?

Many community colleges and vocational training institutions now offer their complete, or partial medical assistant program online, however, potential medical assistant students should NEVER sign up for anything before doing thorough research and asking important questions.

Some websites emphasize that they offer the best medical assistant training online with nationally accredited endorsement for their certified medical assistant program, however, just because it is advertised it doesn't necessarily mean the course is accredited by any of the reputable national accreditors of healthcare schools such as CAAHEP and ABHES, or the Department of Education.

Anyone can set up a so-called medical assistant online program and locate a self-proclaimend accreditation committee and  then, make the claim their course is a certified medical assistant online program and among the best—that doesn't always mean it is true, nor does it guarantee the certificate you will receive is worth the paper it is printed on. At best, you can frame it and hang it on your wall.

What you will get, if that much, is a paper that states that you have completed an online medical assistant course. Good luck with landing a qualified medical assistant position with that and applying for "real" certification with the AAMA or AMT, the recognized authority in medical assistant certification in the USA and abroad. Also, keep in mind that some US states now mandate certification in certain medical specialties and procedures, such as in phlebotomy, X-ray, EKG, and of those who administer physical and IV therapy.

To learn more about the medical assisting career and what a medical assistant does please visit Medical Assistant Net on the Web.

Getting A Medical Assistant Education

Getting a medical assistant education will open up many opportunities:

Professionals in the field get to work alongside doctors and nurses, in settings such as physician's offices and hospitals. The career outlook is great and pay is comparable to that of other highly skilled health care workers.

Medical assistant training is offered at a variety of college throughout the country. The career field appeals to people of all walks of life, and is accessible to anyone no matter what the age. In the past, workers were trained on the job, but with mandated changes in health care guidelines more colleges have worked the program into their curriculum.

Classes for the program include biology, pathophysiology and coding.
Students will also complete a set amount of hours in a clinical setting.
This is usually done towards the end of the curriculum.

Getting Started

Many two-year colleges and technical schools offer the program. Do an internet search to find a local college that has the curriculum. The requirements at each school will vary, but all students need to achieve a high school diploma before applying.

After finding a program schedule a campus visit. This provides an opportunity to see what the school has to offer and learn more about the courses. Speak with an enrollment counselor as they are fully prepared to help students choose a major and set up classes.

The next step is to sign up. Most colleges offer an online application, but the paperwork may also be filled out at the admissions office. Be thorough and do not leave any spaces empty.

During the admission processes a student will likely be required to complete an entrance exam. Some schools require the TEAS exam and others demand the SAT be taken. This information will be discussed during that initial meeting with the guidance counselor. The test serves as an assessment of math and English skills and as a guideline to where each person is with their education. Many colleges offer study groups and tutoring to help students prepare for the examinations.

Financing Your Education

The school will require payment prior to starting the program. Colleges offer a variety of options to students who are struggling to pay for school. Visit the financial aid office to find out about assistance.

Federal aid is one method of financing college. Students can get a Pell Grant, federal loans and state scholarships to help pay for school expenses. A work study option is also available and requires students to work part-time in one of the school's offices.

The deadline to apply for aid is on March 10. Although applications are still accepted after the date, students should apply quickly to receive the maximum benefit amount. Talk to a school counselor to find out more information.

A medical assistant diploma opens many doors for those who graduate the program. No matter what age group or walk of life a student comes from, an individual can gain a lot from the curriculum. Check with a local college to find out more information about training. The career is truly rewarding and the pay is great. It is a great choice for anyone who wants to change their life.

Medical Assistant Training

Teaching Medical Assistant Skills

Medical Assistants must know a wide variety of skills pertaining to medical office administration routines and clinical tasks revolving around patient intake procedures, patient record management, medical history taking, setting up EKG s, spirometry, immunizations, blood draws, charting, measuring orthopedic fittings and such. Some situations may involve bio-hazard risks where Universal Standard Precautions must be practiced to protect themselves, their patients and coworkers from harm.

Medical assistant training programs vary. Most medical assistant training can be completed quickly at a career school or college in your city. Whether you are looking for classroom-based learning, morning, or evening classes, or online courses to suit your busy schedule we can help you find the right medical assistant training program that leads to desired medical assistant certificates and diplomas right here. To find medical assistant training near you complete the School-Finder form. You can browse though your area's vocational training schools, explore various training avenues and request more information from the institutions that interest you.

Choosing the BEST Medical Assistant Program that's RIGHT for You

Step 1: Decide What's Right for You

Set your goals and follow your heart:

Once you have decided that medical assisting is for you, you will have to find a medical assistant training to learn the trade. Medical assistants work in the front and back office of ambulatory medical clinics, and practices under the direct supervision of a licensed health care practitioner, such as a medical doctor. You will need to know administrative and clinical procedures to help the doctor to keep the work flow of the medical practice running smoothly and reliably.

The best training comes from a local vocational training institution, or community college that offers a Medical Assisting Program. The better schools are those that are those recognized by a branch of the U.S. Department of Education, and accredited by CAAHEP, or ABHES (you can google these acronyms for their definition). 

So, the first thing you'd want to ask is: is the program recognized and approved by those organizations. The next thing you will ask, will I be able to sit for nationally recognized medical assistant certification exams, since your chances of landing the better jobs and better pay are greater when you are certified. After that you can ask, how much will it cost and how long does it take to finish the program.

Step 2: Choose a Program

What to ask when exploring a medical assisting program:

Undoubtedly you will arrive at a point where you will ask: "Can this school be right for me?". Here are additional considerations when choosing a medical assisting program that's right for you. Ask this:

* What is the school's success rate (% graduates)?
* Is the school planning to pursue accreditation status?
* Is the institution licensed by regulatory entity in their state?
* Will I be eligible to sit for national certification exam once I have graduated?
* Will I be able to transfer educational credits earned to other schools?
* Does the program offer clinical training and an externship to solidify learned skills?
* If it is an online program will it help me to advance in my career?
* What are the attendance and early withdrawal rules?
* Will I get a refund should I need to withdraw early?
* Will the school assist me in job placement?

Step 3: Consumer Beware

Look before you leap! Recognize the good from the bad:

What if you want to join an ONLINE medical assistant program? Should you steer clear if that program is NOT accredited by recognized accreditors? 

Well, it is entirely up to you, what your goals are, and what will work best for you financially, and in the long run. Nobody in the USA says that medical assistants cannot work in a medical office, or clinic unless they graduated from an accredited school. Heck, there are thousands of very good medical assistants that were trained right on the job.

However, more and more employers are seeking medical assistants with formal training and certifications primarily as a business strategy and liability reasons.

Having said that, let us assure you that there ARE many legitimate institutions, and cyber-schools that offer quality vocational education programs online that lead to certificates, diplomas, and degrees, which are not necessarily accredited (yet!). Often, they are maintained by a traditional brick-and-mortar campus where related classes are held in a real classroom that is licensed by their local Department of Education (USA). Many of them are in the process of getting their regional accreditation status to attest to their program's quality. And yes, there are institutions, and cyber-schools that choose not to seek accreditation for various reasons. It is entirely your choice, and up to you to do your research and decide which route to take.

To learn more about the medical assisting career please visit Medical Assistant NET on the Web. 

Medical Assistant Vocational Training Program Checklist

Before signing up for any vocational training/educational training program, whether on campus, or online, go through the following list...

1. 
   Get in touch with the provider of the vocational training program or online course and ask questions.


2. 
   Ask if the program is composed, managed, and taught by experienced (and certified) medical assistant professionals and instructors, who have actually worked in various disciplines of the medical assistant field.


3. 
   Review the program syllabus. The training should be comprehensive and cover all aspects of the medical assisting occupation.


4. 
   Find out the program's success and pass-rate: the percentage of students that graduate successfully from the program, sit for certification exams, and land jobs.


5. 
   Ask to see the program's refund policy. If they don't have one, it's best to walk!


6. 
   Choose only courses that meet your specific educational needs and goals, if a program is not flexible enough, or does not lead to the desired credentials, it's probably not for you.
   Contact leading professional associations and certification bodies and ask about their guidelines so you know whether you will be eligible to sit for their professional certification exam upon graduation.


7. 
   Check the school's recognitions and accreditation status. Also, if it is an online course, remember to check their reputation. A reputable school will always post all necessary info to their website. A great place to double check is the BBB Online website.


8. 
   See if the website has a public forum where you can read the comments. Don't rely solely on a website's published customer feedback language, since bad customer comments can be sorted out, and good ones faked.


9. 
   Examine the school's address. Is it a physical address, or does it exist only in cyberspace? With a physical address you will always know where to turn should you run into problems.
   Are you signing up for local services, or services provided from abroad? You might run into legal concerns but will have trouble enforcing them if the business is registered abroad, such as a BVI, a business registed in the British Virgin Islands.


10. 
    Ask around; seek advice from professionals already in the field, read the newspaper to find out current trends.


11. 
    Know what employers want and what the future outlook might be.
    Choose what's right for you, but be an informed consumer and choose wisely!

Medical Assistant Online Training -- Students Must Use Extreme Caution

This is an example:
St. Augustine Educational Services on the Internet AKA St. Augustine Medical Assistant School—advertised on the Internet as an accredited medical assistant online school. Please know that the article reflects only, and solely our own opinion. If there is anything you'd like to share or add to this article, please feel free to do so. Please utilize the "add comment" button below.

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St. Augustine Medical Assistant School!
St. Augustine Educational Services is one example where exercising extreme caution before signing up for medical assistant training is advised. Only because St. Augustine Educational Services is a heavy advertiser on the search engines and ranks high it does not automatically mean that their program is right for medical assistant students educational and professional needs.

St. Augustine Educational Services is a school on the Internet that offers medical assistant classes through distance education online. Cost: $645 -- Non-refundable! Their main web site (one of many) is located at medassistant.org. However, to raise their online presence and recruitment of students into their medical assistant distance education and training program this website is interlinked with a broad network of other websites.

As Posted on St. Augustine's Home Page:"An Accredited, Convenient and Affordable Online Distance Education ProgramYou can now study online to earn an accredited Medical Assistant Certificate in just 6-8 weeks!"

St. Augustine Educational Services describes their online school as a worldwide leader in online medical assistant education and proclaims to be an accredited medical assistant school. In the past their web site indicated that that they were a school in Florida which may lead to confusion since there also is the University of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, Florida (especially with the added image of a building that resembles a southern university campus). However, this reference has now been removed from their web site. See archived web page!

Once visitors start to dig through their web pages and drill deeper into their site they find a page (not easy to find!) that explains what St. Augustine Educational Services really is: St. Augustine Educational Services is a business located in the British Virgin Islands and accredited by a private non-government agency called “The Certification Board”.

The Certification Board through which St. Augustine Medical Assistant School is accredited is based in Owensboro, Kentucky. Anyone can join over the Internet for a one-time fee of $200! Upon completion of their distance education program St. Augustine Educational Services issues nothing more, nothing less than a certificate of completion, which is a simple piece of paper imprinted "Certificate of Completion" with the student's name.

Read more details every student should know
about St. Augustine's classes
before
signing up at: http://www.medassistant.org/Info.html

In Conclusion:

Students who sign up for medical assistant or other allied health professional related vocational training are urged to seek out properly accredited programs that meet national standards, make them eligible to sit for the national certification exams, and lead to higher education, and/or a degree. Over the past years recognized national certification and accreditation agencies and sponsors have become very engaged in providing quality education, professional membership support, and building awareness among educators, employers, supervisors, and students about the importance of attending proper accredited schools and programs.

• National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
• American Medical Technologists (AMT)
• American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)

For example, the AAMA's Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), AMT's Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification, and/or NHA's Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and Certified Administrative Medical Assistant (CMAA) certification exams are available ONLY for qualified candidates from properly accredited schools. Anyone with questions can go to these organization's websites to find more information on the certification process.

Unless potential medical assistant students understand the difference between fully accredited vs. the multitude of gray-area, non-accredited, and flat-out illegitimate vocational training programs offered online, they might be in for a rude awakening, when after having successfully completed the course they find out that they have virtually nothing to show for their money and efforts. Even worse: that they are not permitted to sit for any of the professional certification exams!

It is extremely important that anybody who seeks vocational training graduates from courses that are approved and accredited by the RIGHT agencies, such as the United States Board of Education, the US Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the US Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), the US Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and other governmental agencies and regulatory organizations, such as Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

Comments -------------------------------
A comment that was previously added to the article below, but then deleted:
Quote: "I would like to see more info on St Augustine they claim they are accredited by an organization called “The Certification Board” It is totally phony website address at www.acertification.org". Here is the information about St. Augustine's accreditation agency from the WhoIs Name Intelligence, Inc. database. Anyone interested in finding out more details about St. Augustine's accreditation status here is the contact information:

• Web site: acertification.org
• Title: National Accreditation and Certification Board
• Description: Offers accreditation for alternative health programs, colleges and graduates.
• Based in Owensboro, Kentucky.
• Domain Name: ACERTIFICATION.ORG
• Sponsoring Registrar: Intercosmos Media Group Inc.
• Registrant Name: Steve Rusher
• Registrant Organization: American Mystery Cat INC.
• Registrant Street: 358 East Main Street
• Registrant City: Fordsville
• Registrant State/Province: KY
• Registrant Postal Code: 42343
• Registrant Country: US
• Registrant Phone: 270.276.5384
  
  
  © 2005 Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC.

A Word of Caution Before Signing up For Distance Education and Training

Distance education and online training over the Internet fills a vital gap in the education field for non-traditional students, and provides e-learners with convenience, flexibility, and the ability to study anywhere, any time without being on campus. The majority of the students that seek training through virtual schools online are around 35 years old, work at full-time jobs, and two-thirds have family responsibilities. Important is to realize that online programs are not always accredited or legit.

Internet Scams
The Internet is known for many different types of scams. Sometimes, if not careful, the certificate or diploma distance education learners receive is not even worth the paper it is printed on and the time and money invested was wasted. Online training providers, non-traditional universities, and colleges who offer virtual and distance learning programs have different accreditation standards. It is important to recognize the difference between legitimate and fully accredited vs. illegitimate and non-accredited correspondence schools before signing up for any distance education courses or programs.

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