Medical Assistant Schools in Wisconsin

The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) defines its members as specially-trained technicians who work alongside physicians, mainly in outpatient or ambulatory care facilities, keeping medical offices running smoothly by performing necessary administrative and clinical tasks under the direction of medical professionals.

Medical assistants help both patients and their healthcare providers enjoy safe, effective, and efficient office visits. To help physicians and nurses in diagnosing and treating patients for illnesses and injuries and in following up with their convalescent care, medical assistants need special knowledge, skills, and abilities they learn from study at post-secondary schools that award medical assistant certificates or diplomas and associate degrees.

If you are ready to explore your options for entering a medical assistant program in Wisconsin, contact the schools you see below to obtain program details.

Medical Assistant Education in Wisconsin

An academic program for a certificate or diploma in medical assisting usually takes about a year to complete. An associate’s degrees requires two years of formal study. Both programs can include courses in anatomy and physiology, medical transcription, insurance transactions, medical terminology, and first aid. Some programs include internships in physician offices or other health care facilities for practical training.

Two agencies, the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), publish policies and procedures to establish and maintain medical assistant academic standards.

An associate’s degree costs more in time and tuition than does a certificate or diploma, but it may also be the more valuable credential as it transfers to four-year institutions and the preferable qualification for high-paying, desirable positions.

Medical Assistants (MA’s) with certificates/diplomas update patient records, code insurance forms, schedule appointments, arrange patient hospital admissions and laboratory services, collect specimens, and take vital signs. Associate’s prepared MA’s do the same but also may refill prescriptions, draw blood, extract sutures, and administer medications under physician supervision. In some states, after passing qualifying exams, medical assistants with associate degrees also give injections or take x-rays.

When you start learning about medical assistant schools in Wisconsin, you could find dozens of reasons to get involved and make your mark in this field. Are you looking for a fast-paced job that makes every shift fly by? You could find that with training from a local medical assistant school. Do you want to do important work that makes a difference? Medical assisting definitely ticks that box. Do you want the opportunity to change up your responsibilities throughout your career and keep your skills fresh? Keep reading to find out how you can earn medical assistant certification in Wisconsin.

Medical Assisting Classes in Wisconsin

For many aspiring students, the best choice is a standard medical assisting program. Rather than focusing just on clinical work or administrative work, these blended programs offer a bit of training in each area. As a new student, you may check out the theory of medical assisting. Some of the topics covered at this level include medical terminology, healthcare ethics, and patient privacy laws. Once you’ve tackled these topics, you may start getting practical experience. On the administrative side, that means learning how to work with medical assisting programs and completing basic office tasks. When it comes to clinical work, you may observe working medical assistants and learn how to do routine tasks for patients.

When compared to other training options, MA schools are very fast-paced. From start to finish, you may graduate in as little as one year if you earn a certificate or diploma. Some schools also offer Associate’s degree programs that last two years.

Medical Assisting Coursework

• Medical Law and Ethics
• Pharmacology
• Administrative Procedures
• Laboratory Procedures
• Medical Assistant Practicum

Billing and Coding Programs in Wisconsin

You may find that several medical assistant schools in Wisconsin have billing and coding programs. While reading about medical assisting schools, maybe you realized that you’d rather work exclusively in an administrative setting. In that case, billing and coding may be the perfect specialty for you. Billing and coding specialists may have limited contact with patients, typically just to answer billing questions or collect payment. They spend the rest of their time coding for procedures and ensuring that documentation is accurate.

Your practical experience in this specialty takes the form of computer lab hours, in which you discover how to work efficiently with today’s billing and coding software. Some schools have 100% online training options, making this a convenient option for students who need flexibility in their training. Even if you attend an online program, try to make time for an internship in your schedule. It can make a big difference in your job options.

Class Options in Billing and Coding Programs

• Clinical Information Management
• Health Data Management
• Digital Literacy for Healthcare
• ICD Diagnosis Coding
• ICD Procedure Coding

Wisconsin Nurse Aide and Patient Care Tech Classes

A growing number of medical assistant schools in Wisconsin now offer PCT and CNA programs. If you’ve never explored these programs before, you may be confused since they overlap quite a bit. Certified nursing assistants are a core part of assisted living facilities and nursing homes in Wisconsin, providing around-the-clock care to patients. Lots of two-year schools and medical facilities have CNA programs, which are generally eight weeks or less. Patient care technicians get more training, typically graduating in one or two semesters. Some PCT programs include a nursing assistant program at the beginning, letting you get licensed and start working fairly quickly.

CNA and Patient Care Tech Courses

• Patient Care Technician Theory and Skills
• Nursing Assistant Skills
• Pharmacology
• Patient Documentation

Medical Secretary and Administrative Med Assisting Programs in Wisconsin

As you work toward medical assistant certification in Wisconsin, you may come across medical secretary programs. These degrees also go by the name of administrative medical assisting programs. This type of training is perfect for those who enjoy engaging with patients but prefer to limit their clinical work. You can learn how to be the face of a clinic, help patients feel comfortable when they arrive, and keep scheduled appointments running smoothly.

Like billing and coding, this specialty does have some training programs that are offered entirely online. Even if your school does not require practical experience for graduation, completing a practicum at a nearby facility may assist you when you start looking for jobs.

Administrative Medical Assisting Classes

• Medical Assistant Administrative Procedures
• Culture of Healthcare
• Professionalism in Healthcare
• Medical Office Insurance and Finance
• Pharmacology

Now that you know more about the different types of medical assisting jobs in Wisconsin, it’s time to choose the one that is right for you!

Contact Wisconsin medical assisting schools to get started.

The Wisconsin Health Professionals Loan Assistance Program operated by the State Office of Rural Health may provide financial aid in loan forgiveness or repayment plans to help with tuition costs. Maximum medical assistant awards are $25,000 for a service obligation of three years in a federally-designated health professional shortage area.

Medical Assisting Careers in Wisconsin

Medical Assistant Career Outlook in Wisconsin

Working in healthcare comes with certain benefits. In particular, it’s reassuring to work for an industry that is stable or has seen steady growth for several years. In the decade from 2014 to 2024, medical assistants may see an 8% boost in job openings (O*Net, 2017). The demand is similar for medical records technicians, who often need training in medical billing and coding or medical information technology. By 2024, you may see job openings swell 8% throughout Wisconsin (O*Net, 2017).

Certified nursing assistants and patient care technicians typically work in a range of care settings, from nursing homes and clinics to emergency rooms and specialty departments. Across the board, demand for certified nursing assistants may increase 13% by the year 2024 (O*Net, 2017). Job growth is expected to remain steady for medical secretaries; between 2014 and 2024, job openings may jump 7% in Wisconsin (O*Net, 2017).

Not only has healthcare expanded rapidly in Wisconsin, long-term care settings have seen substantial growth. In fact, Wisconsin has suffered such a severe personal care worker shortage that many state employers are implementing permanent salary increases to draw professionals into the field (WUWM, 2017). With medical assistant certification in Wisconsin, you may be able to look into personal care worker jobs, hospital openings, clinic openings, and many other healthcare positions.

AAMA Certification may affect potential employers favorably and can improve job prospects. Graduates of ABHES- or CAAHEP-accredited medical assistant programs may take the certification exam as soon as 30 days before completion of their formal study, including any practicum. Recent graduates may apply for the exam within 12 months after graduation. Other than students and recent graduates, applicants previously certified may take the exam with payment of a double fee. Medical assistant certification is for five years, after which the AAMA requires recertification by reexamination or earned continuing education points.

Contact the schools you see here to learn more about your options for becoming a Medical Assistant in Wisconsin today.

Listed below are all of the schools offering Medical Assistant programs in Wisconsin. As a rule, you should contact at least 3-5 schools during the course of your research, and ideally more. There are important differences between the programs in terms of cost, admissions requirements, and other characteristics, and, as with many things in life, the way to find the best Medical Assistant program for your needs is to spend some time shopping around.

Here Are The Medical Assistant Schools…