6 Crucial Questions To Ask Before Choosing A Medical Assisting School

Choosing a medical assisting program is like shopping for a car.
The medical assisting program should have all the features you want (e.g. hands-on training, small class sizes, quality education, etc.), but if the school isn’t going to help you find a job, it’s like buying a car that you can’t drive.

To help you make an educated decision on what medical assisting school to attend, try and answer the following questions about the school you’re considering:

Does The Medical Assisting School Have A Quality Career Placement Department?

You’ll know the quality of the medical assisting program by visiting the school’s career placement center. The career placement center should have everything you’ll need to find a job upon graduation.

Meet with the manager or director in charge of placement and find out how they help students find jobs. Find out if they’ll help you with your resume, and if they will set up interviews for you.

Remember, you’re going to school to find a job as a Medical Assistant, and you need to make sure the career placement department will do everything possible to help you.

Does The Medical Assisting Program Include Hands-On Training?

Most medical assisting schools will boast about their hands-on training in advertising. Hands-on training is essential to learning the skills needed as a medical assistant.

So when you ask the school about their hands-on training, find out exactly what they mean. Ask how much of class time is devoted to hands-on training. Find out how soon you can practice the skills you learned. Ask what types of hands-on training you’ll receive. And if possible, ask a student about what he or she thinks about the school’s hands-on approach to learning.

Does The Medical Assisting Program Offer You An Externship (Or Internship) To Work With Medical Assistants?

Externships (or internships) are vital elements to a medical assisting program. Internships will give you opportunities to work in a real medical facility, and allow you to work alongside medical professionals. These professionals will give you practical advice, and will be wonderful references for you when you are ready to find a job.

What Experience Do The Medical Assisting Instructors Have?

It’s always best to have an experienced medical professional teaching the classes. The insights from a professional medical assistant or nurse will prepare you much more than an instructor without real-world experience.

Having instructors that are not experienced doesn’t mean you won’t have quality education, but it definitely is a bonus. They can share their experiences and practical knowledge on the subjects they teach. This is something you can’t get out of books.

What Percentage Of Graduates Get Jobs As Medical Assistants After Graduating?

Talk with the career placement manager or director and find out how many medical assisting graduates get placed in jobs. Make sure you specifically ask how many are getting jobs as medical assistants. Most schools should place over 70% of their graduates. Compare that statistic with whatever they tell you.

Who Can You Talk With If You Have Problems With A Class Or Teacher?

Once you enroll in a medical assisting school, you need to feel comfortable getting help if you have a problem. Find out who will be your main contact if you have trouble in class, or if you don’t like a certain teacher. Find out how easy and/or difficult it is to change teachers. Also ask how accessible the president of the school is. The president should be someone who is interested in your opinion, and has an open door policy.

Start researching medical assisting schools in your area now.