Medical Assistant Degree Online New Gloucester ME - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training School near New Gloucester Maine

New Gloucester ME medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near New Gloucester ME, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? Many potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You may decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with New Gloucester ME nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their role is ensure that the New Gloucester ME clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work operate efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

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

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Maine law, some choose 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) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

In contrast to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many New Gloucester ME health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to complete, some 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 alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in New Gloucester ME There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good choice for those who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue to work full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened as well. But keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in New Gloucester ME area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your education might be the ideal option for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for individuals who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential New Gloucester ME medical employers just 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) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask New Gloucester ME medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to New Gloucester ME with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many great reasons to make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted agencies 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 agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential New Gloucester ME employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are looking at provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with New Gloucester ME area health care providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students establish relationships within the New Gloucester healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Landing that initial job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the New Gloucester ME area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a program to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the program you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near New Gloucester ME, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that might 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 responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near New Gloucester Maine?

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

New Gloucester, Maine

New Gloucester is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, in the United States. It is home to the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, the last active Shaker village in the U.S. The town's population was 5,542 at the 2010 census.[5]

New Gloucester was established under a grant from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1736, the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony granted a 6-square-mile (16 km2) tract of land in the Maine Territory to sixty inhabitants of the Gloucester fishing village on Cape Ann. The first settlers followed the road newly bushed out from North Yarmouth and built cabins on Harris Hill between 1739 and 1742. The settlement was abandoned from 1744-1751 due to the heightened Indian attacks during King George's War.[6]

Settlers returned and in 1753 commenced work on a two-story, fifty-foot square blockhouse with a palisade stockade 110 feet (34 m) on a side. This was home to twelve families for six years. The men worked at clearing the surrounding 60 acres (240,000 m2) of common land under the protection of two swivel guns manned by a garrison of six soldiers. One attack was made upon the fort, resulting in one scalping and two men captured. As the Indians gradually withdrew to Canada, the settlers moved out into their own newly built homes. The blockhouse continued to serve for worship and town affairs until the first meetinghouse was built in 1773. In 1788, the blockhouse was sold at auction for seven bushels of corn and moved to a farm in the intervale, where it was rebuilt as a hog house.[6]

Choose the Right Medical Assistant School New Gloucester ME

New Gloucester ME medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Degree Online. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in New Gloucester ME.