If necessity is the mother of invention, then vocational schools are adapting to the pandemic like champions. Online and on-campus hybrid medical assistant programs are the new way for students to get the top-quality education they deserve, safely.
If you’re ready for a new career as a medical assistant, your community needs you, and training doesn’t have to wait.
How Does a Hybrid Online Medical Assistant Program Work?
A traditional medical assistant program works as you would expect: classes are held on campus. However, given current social distancing protocols, schools have been forced to explore online alternatives.
While education on the internet is safe, there are concerns it lacks the personal dimension students expect from higher education, making hands-on learning tough. The solution is hybrid programs, a blend of online and in-person training that’s the best of both worlds.
In a hybrid online medical assistant program, you may take lecture/theory classes such as anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and health care ethics online while heading to campus for practical training in the lab.
With precautions, most programs continue to offer off-campus externships where you’ll have the opportunity to work side-by-side with seasoned professionals in the medical field. It’s a different way to learn, but you won’t miss a thing.
What Are the Benefits of a Hybrid Online Medical Assistant Diploma Program?
Hybrid education programs are relatively new, but they’re already proving to have significant benefits. They’re timely, safe, convenient, hands-on, interactive, effective, individualized, supportive, and affordable. All are benefits that make attending school easier and cost-effective.
Benefit 1: Timely
Vocational schools work hard to meet their community’s workforce needs. They collaborate with local employers to design programs that prepare students for jobs that are available now.
The U.S. health care system expects a deluge of new patients, as millions of baby boomers approach retirement age, so the demand for frontline medical workers is skyrocketing. As a medical assistant, you can help your neighbors beat the pandemic today while knowing your career is secure because jobs in health care don’t become obsolete.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job openings for medical assistants are expected to grow 19 percent in the next ten years, which is much higher than average for other occupations. Health care is a great career path for the future.
Benefit 2: Safe
Online learning allows you to continue learning without missing a beat. Students, teachers, and their families are all vulnerable to COVID-19. Keeping people six feet apart in traditional classrooms means vocational colleges would have to admit fewer students. But in a virtual classroom, there are no restrictions, so schools can meet admissions demands. There is also typically less absenteeism in online classes.
Benefit 3: Convenient
Adults have financial responsibilities that can make going back to school unmanageable. Working full-time hours to feed a family and pay the rent means career aspirations are put on the back burner. But why earn less than you should when convenience is a popular benefit of hybrid learning?
With limited trips to campus, you can keep earning while you’re learning and avoid the stress of mounting bills. Full-time students can complete their education in months and be ready for a brighter future.
Benefit 4: Hands-on
Medical assistants are cross-trained to handle both administrative and clinical responsibilities, so some hands-on training is required. In a hybrid program, you’ll learn what you can online, but you’ll go to campus to practice newfound skills, from phlebotomy to taking vital signs, in a well-equipped lab.
Schools keep students safe by limiting the number of people in each session and requiring protective equipment. It’s a good exercise for future medical specialists who will be instructing patients on how to take care of themselves.
Benefit 5: Interactive
The obvious benefit of traditional classrooms is face-to-face interaction with peers and teachers. No student wants to miss out on that. But new virtual education software now allows group meetings online. It’s surprisingly personal.
Students get the individual attention they deserve without exposure to COVID-19. The atmosphere is similar to a real classroom where peers can share and collaborate. No one is a stranger.
You’ll make friends and connect with people while you learn, and participants tend to be more outgoing and interactive because they are speaking from a safe, personal space instead of a classroom setting.
The electronic nature of online learning is also a benefit for medical assistants. Today’s modern health care settings are fully computerized, and practicing with virtual technology gives students an advantage on the job. With telemedicine taking off, an aptitude with computers and virtual platforms is a plus on your résumé.
Benefit 6: Effective
Making classes internet-ready may necessitate revamping course material. Assignments may include case studies, video tutorials, and online group projects. It’s a boon for visual learners and those who enjoy more practical activities.
Another benefit of hybrid education is enhanced student autonomy. The blend of traditional and online learning empowers students to set goals, manage their time, seek their own resources, and track their academic achievements, valuable skills in the professional world.
Programs enable students to take ownership of their education while still receiving guidance from instructors and the support of fellow students. It’s a win-win.
Benefit 7: Individualized
In a conventional classroom, instructors can teach only one lesson. Despite the small class sizes in vocational schools, it can be a cookie-cutter approach that isn’t effective for everyone.
When classes are online and in part, self-directed, instructors can tailor materials and assignments to better fit individuals’ needs without affecting how others learn. It’s a practical, constructive way to personalize course content to a student’s strengths and interests.
Benefit 8: Supportive
Working adults have scheduling challenges, and they can’t always rely on the usual study groups for support. Instructors have time set aside for extra help outside class.
Vocational schools offer placement assistance after graduation. The usual job fairs have disappeared since the pandemic began, so connecting with employers isn’t as easy as it once was. Vocational schools work closely with hospitals and private practices to help match qualified graduates with jobs. It’s a value added benefit.
Benefit 9: Affordable
A hybrid program may allow you to save time and money on commuting, since you are not going to campus as often, and a computer and a reliable internet connection are all you need to learn from home.
Parents can take classes while the kids are in school and still have time to make dinner and help with homework. It’s an ideal school/life balance.
Final Thoughts
Furthering your education costs time and money. It’s an investment.
But the good news is that with a hybrid online medical assistant program, you can save on commuting, and you don’t have to put your life on hold.
Essential health care workers are in demand across the country, and opportunities will grow well into the future. Why wait? A rewarding career is just around the corner.
Did learning about the benefits of a hybrid online medical assistant program interest you? Want to learn more about this exciting new career in the medical assisting field?
The Medical Assistant program at Hunter Business School prepares competent, entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains required for professional practice.
The Medical Assistant program provides hands-on experience in a real medical setting where you can foster professional relationships with actual patients. Medical Assistant students spend 160 hours in an externship in a genuine medical environment where they are supervised and taught in order to gain valuable on-the-job training.
Contact us today to find out more about how to become a medical assistant on Long Island.