Medical Assistant Programs abound all over the internet, and it can be confusing for an aspiring medical assistant to know what type of program is most beneficial to them.  After all, you have probably heard stories of individuals who became medical assistants without any type of schooling or training at all!  Also, you may see many websites that offer medical training online, and this can be confusing as well.

Is Training Needed?

The average medical assistant, according to data from January 2011, earns a yearly salary of $29,631.  However, is it very unlikely that you will earn an amount anywhere near this on day one, and especially if you have not received any certifications or outside training.  Also, it is becoming increasingly common to see clinics refusing to hire medical assistants if they are not certified.  So while you may be fortunate to get your foot in the door without training, your opportunities will be significantly higher if you get outside training before you pursue your career as a medical assistant.

Online Training?

The internet reaches into all our homes now and has simplified life in many areas.  As such, perhaps you have seen ads or websites that give you the option to earn a medical assistant certificate online.  This can be a great option that can save you time and money, as you can learn from the convenience of your own home!  However, it pays to be very, very careful.  Many online certificates present themselves as legitimate schools, and offer seemingly legitimate courses, but the certificates you receive may be of no value. 

How disheartening it would be to waste all that time and money.  Instead, when looking at different medical assistant programs, make sure you thoroughly investigate them.  Read their website, and then cross-check and make sure that the program is an accredited one. 

You can do this in a couple ways.  One, you can check the accreditation status of a school by going to (http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx).   Also, you can check the AAMA website at (http://www.aama-ntl.org/medassisting/caahep_prgs.aspx) to see if the online program that you are investigating is listed.

By doing this, you can save yourself a lot of time or money.

One or Two Years?

If you decide to attend a junior college, or a community college near your home, you may be faced with the choice to go for one year, or for two years.  The decision is obviously up to you, as either choice will prepare you well for a career in the medical industry.  However, the medical assistant programs that your school offers, need to offer credits that can be convertible to a bachelor’s degree, if you should decide that you want to pursue that in the future.  If you get a 1 year certificate, make sure that you can later come back and get your associates with just 1 year of work.  Likewise, if you get an associates degree, verify that you can convert that training to a bachelor’s degree, with just 2 additional years of study.

Medical assistant programs may have you confused initially, but if you follow some of these steps, you can quickly make the right choice and find yourself on the road to becoming a Certified Medical Assistant.