Medical Assistant programs are an incredible way to join an up-and-coming industry. What other field is growing faster than the medical field? As such, many are excited to join this field and want to start working right away. However, when analyzing all the schools and programs, many wonder whether they should go to school for 1 year or 2 years.
It’s natural to want to get started right away, and due to this factor, many people take the one year course so that they can get finished and get a job. Others go to school for 2 years, hoping that the extra year of schooling can pay off in their future. Which way will you decide?
One-Year Diploma or Certificate Program
As mentioned, a one year medical assistant program can get you in school and out of school quickly, so that you can begin your career. During that year of school, you will focus almost exclusively on the main courses, and not have any additional courses that don’t apply to your field of study. It’s basically a “crash course” and getting a certificate prepares you fully for your career.
Also, it’s obviously cheaper both due to the cheaper cost of the class and the quicker period of time in which you’ll graduate and get a job. Many people are basically forced to take this course, and if this is your decision, it will be plenty of schooling to enable you to have a long career as a certified medical assistant.
2 year Associate’s Degree
The 2 year medical assistant program is much more comprehensive, and offers a student the opportunity to become well-rounded and get an actual associates degree. One of the main benefits to this, is that in the future, if one wants to get additional schooling, such as nursing or any other medical degree, they can many times convert their credits and have a huge head start.
Also, a 2-year degree may allow a student to command a higher salary coming out of school than a 1 year degree. If you know that you want to be in the health industry for the rest of your life, and if you can afford it, the Associate’s degree is certainly the way to go.
How to Decide
The decision on whether to go to school for 1 or 2 years, then, is up to you. You’ll need to weigh the above factors. Can you spend 2 years at school, without a full-time job? Do you have the money to go to school for that period of time? Would you like to get additional schooling down the road, such as nursing school?
Also, is it more important for you to get to work quickly, or get a higher paying job? Finally, you might just enjoy school. Getting a 2-year associate degree does make you a more well-rounded student, as you learn many things outside of the medical field. If that appeals to you, that might be an additional consideration.
It can be confusing when looking over medical assistant programs. But hopefully, thesee tips will help you in your decision regarding 1-year schooling or 2-year schooling. In either case, you can be sure that you are going to be well-prepared for your career as a CMA.