Medical Assistant Study Naugatuck CT - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training Program near Naugatuck Connecticut

Naugatuck CT medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Naugatuck CT, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Most prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You may choose to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have provided some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Naugatuck CT nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their function is to make sure that the Naugatuck CT hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

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

Medical Assistant Programs

In contrast to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Naugatuck CT health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often 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 Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Naugatuck CT There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are an excellent option for students who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Naugatuck CT area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the right option for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Naugatuck CT medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Naugatuck CT medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you must choose which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to Naugatuck CT with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should look at when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to ensure that the program you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Naugatuck CT employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Naugatuck CT area medical care providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Naugatuck healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Getting that very first job can be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Naugatuck CT area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a college to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Naugatuck CT, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Naugatuck Connecticut?

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

Naugatuck, Connecticut

Naugatuck is a consolidated borough and town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town spans both sides of the Naugatuck River just south of Waterbury, and includes the communities of Union City on the east side of the river, which has its own post office, Straitsville on the southeast (along Route 63), and Millville on the west (along Rubber Avenue). As of the 2010 census, Naugatuck had a population of 31,862.[2]

Naugatuck was settled in 1701 as a farming community in rural western Connecticut. As the Industrial Revolution commenced, Naugatuck was transformed into a hardscrabble mill town like its neighbors in the Naugatuck Valley.

Rubber was the chief manufactured product. Charles Goodyear worked at his brother's rubber company, the Goodyear Metallic Rubber Shoe Company & Downtown Naugatuck, until the company was consolidated into the United States Rubber Company. The United States Rubber Company (renamed Uniroyal Inc. in 1961) was founded in Naugatuck in 1892 as a consolidation of nine rubber companies, and maintained their corporate headquarters there until the 1980s. Their Footwear Division manufactured Keds sneakers in Naugatuck from 1917 until the 1980s. U.S. Rubber also produced Naugahyde in a Naugatuck factory, but it is no longer produced there.

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant School Naugatuck CT

Naugatuck CT medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Study. But irrespective 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, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Naugatuck CT.