Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Centerbrook CT - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Program near Centerbrook Connecticut

Centerbrook CT medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Centerbrook CT, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the right one? Many future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You might want to look into several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Centerbrook CT nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their function is to make sure that the Centerbrook CT hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Connecticut law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Centerbrook CT health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at community and junior colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Centerbrook CT There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent choice for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced as well. But remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be performed in Centerbrook CT area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting a position after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Centerbrook CT medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Centerbrook CT medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Centerbrook CT with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to examine when assessing programs. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to confirm that the college you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved organizations for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Centerbrook CT employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Centerbrook CT area medical care providers. They are a great method to get hands-on practical experience and training. They can also help students develop relationships within the Centerbrook health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Getting that first job may be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Centerbrook CT area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before selecting a college to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Centerbrook CT, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Centerbrook Connecticut?

If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Centerbrook CT area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.

Centerbrook, Connecticut

Centerbrook is a hamlet located in the town of Essex, Connecticut. The village is home to numerous businesses, the Essex Steam Train, a post office, and Essex Elementary School. It has many houses but it is generally considered the more commercial part of Essex.[1]

The village consists of the area immediately west of the Route 9 expressway, extending southwest along Route 153 to Tiffany Brook, west along Main Street to Earl Street, and north along Route 154 to Route 9.

There are two churches in Centerbrook- a Lutheran church, which sits on Main Street just before the school, and a Congregational Church, which sits between the Mobil station and the former Debbie's Restaurant.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant School Centerbrook CT

Centerbrook CT medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Centerbrook CT.