5 Reasons To Try Free Online Courses Before Enrolling In An Accredited Medical Assistant Course

Helping your teen check out and compare college options is an exciting experience, but it can also get stressful. Learn how to navigate the decision here.

5 Reasons To Try Free Online Courses Before Enrolling In An Accredited Medical Assistant Course

5 Reasons To Try Free Online Courses Before Enrolling In An Accredited Medical Assistant Course

15 March 2016
 Categories:
, Articles


If you are thinking about attending a college, such as ASA College, to become a certified medical assistant, you may be overwhelmed by your choices. You can choose centers that focus on medical assistants and nurses and offer 1-year certification, or you can attend a two-year or four-year college. You can also pursue online education for the bulk of your coursework, allowing you to work or intern full-time while you complete your courses. Before you make any decisions about which institution to attend or even which certification or degree to pursue, you should consider taking a few free online courses in the field. Here are some reasons these courses will benefit you. 

Make Sure You Are Ready With the Basics

Becoming a medical assistant requires several biology, anatomy, and physiology courses. If you are returning to school after a break in your education or if you do not have a strong background in science and mathematics, online courses can remind you of the basics that you will need for these classes. For example, you can take courses that will teach you proper microscope usage or how to properly read a graduated cylinder. While you may have covered these topics in high school, a refresher course will make sure you feel confident and prepared when you begin your medical assistant courses. 

Make Sure You Are In the Right Field for You 

A basic medical assistant certificate requires one year of training. This does not leave much time to decide if the program is right for you. By taking a few free courses before enrolling in an official program, you can make sure that you like the medical field and that you will be able to successfully complete the courses that are required of you. 

Narrow Your Focus 

There are several types of medical assistants. The three main types are clerical, certified, and administrative assistants. Taking a basic course that explains these differences and gives you a sampling of the work that each type of assistant will do will help you narrow your focus and start with the correct courses at your institution as soon as you enroll. 

Let You Try Out Online Learning 

There are many online and in-person medical assistant programs. Online programs tend to offer greater flexibility, allowing your to work at your own pace. However, they also require greater focus and more self-discipline to make sure you get your coursework completed without regular interaction with your instructor and classmates to remind you. While many people excel at online courses, some people struggle to learn the course material when it is presented online. 

Taking a few free online courses will help you understand how online courses operate and whether you will be successful at an online program. It will also allow you to form good study habits, such as creating study reminders for your online courses, that can help you be successful at an online school. Alternatively, after trying a few free courses, you may decide that you will fare better at a physical campus. 

Have the Possibility to Apply for Credit 

Some free courses allow you to complete the course and take the final exams for free. Then, if you do well on the final exams, you can pay a course fee and apply for credit that can be transferred to other schools. This gives you a commitment-free way to take a course without getting a bad grade on your record if you struggle. However, if you do well, your time is not wasted because you can still apply for credit. 

While you will not be able to get your medical assistant certification for free, you can prepare yourself to start your program by taking a few free online courses. This can help you make the most of your medical assistant program. 

About Me
Helping Your Teen Choose a College to Attend

Helping your teen check out and compare their college options is an exciting experience, but it can also get pretty stressful – especially when you don’t see eye to eye with one another on specific topics, like dorm quality. But with a little planning and an open mind, you can minimize the stress and optimize the excitement. Tactics like sitting down with your teen to make a list of essential facilities and features will help keep you both on the same track. You’ll find lots of tips, tricks, and resources you can use to make things easy when it comes to finding the perfect college for your teen to attend that you can both be happy with.