Best Medical and Dental Assisting Schools in Arizona

medical assistant schools arizona

Thinking about getting in the medical or dental fields as a medical assistant or dental assistant?

The two best schools for medical assisting in Arizona and dental assisting in Arizona

When looking at their reviews they are rated 4.9 with over 30 reviews on Google. That is really high for trade schools in Arizona.

How Long is a Medical Assistant Program?

Medical assistants are one of the most important workers in healthcare offices. They work closely with all other medical professionals to ensure a smooth workflow and successful delivery of patient care. Because of this, it’s important that medical assistants be competent, knowledgeable, and have the proper training to be successful. In order to gain employment, prospective medical assistants may need to complete several steps, including finishing a training program, getting formally certified, and gaining work experience.

In short, getting certified in Arizona as a medical assistant can take anywhere from four months to two years. The length of the program depends on the specific school and the type of degree/certification that is being pursued. Medical assisting programs are most frequently offered by local community colleges and vocational schools.

Oftentimes the quickest way to qualify for certification is by attending a vocational school (also called career and trade schools). Programs in these schools are up to a year long, although they can be as short as four months. In the state of Arizona, these schools offer externships where students can get work experience before graduating and beginning the search for employment.

Programs at community colleges vary in length and may require getting a two-year associates degree with a focus on medical assisting. If this is the case, the degree coursework includes general education classes as well as specific medical assisting classes. It is important to note that most schools require being 18 years of age and having a high school diploma or GED to be eligible to enroll. However, on occasion, high schools may offer two-year dual enrollment programs with local community colleges where students can earn their certification by the time they graduate. Community colleges can also offer shorter programs that are typically a minimum of nine months long. These programs exclude general education coursework and focus only on topics that are relevant to working as a medical assistant.

After completing classroom training and an externship at either a community college or vocational school, students must be formally certified in medical assisting to be eligible for employment. In the state of Arizona, certification entails taking a standardized exam either just before or just after the completion of a training program. Depending on the type of certification, this must be renewed every two to five years.  Once completed, students are on their way to a long and rewarding career in the medical field.

Why a Dental Assistant needs to know Dentrix Software?

Because almost every job ad in the Phoenix metro area requires that you know how to use Dentrix!

Dentrix is the leading dental software program used in the state of Arizona. Dentrix is a computer program used in dental offices as a patient database.  It’s also used for scheduling, billing, charting, treatment planning and insurance management.

When you are researching Dental Assisting Schools in Phoenix, one of your first questions should be: Do you teach Dentrix Software?

Even if the office you work for uses another program or has their own.  You will have been trained on the leading software program and have the ability to sell yourself in a job interview by simply stating: I am familiar with Dentrix, I am a fast learner and I am confident I will be able to learn this program with little training.

Author: Tara Jade

Columnist at AZCharged.com, write about businesses, places, and interesting Arizona facts and stats.

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