What Can A Certified Medical Assistant Do Acton MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Acton Massachusetts

Acton MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Acton MA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You might choose to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have provided some questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Acton MA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the Acton MA hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing general support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Massachusetts law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and obtain 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 Courses

Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Acton MA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a practical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Acton MA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent choice for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Acton MA area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your training might be the right choice for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for those who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Acton MA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably the most respected 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 have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Acton MA medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you must decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Acton MA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should explore when researching programs. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to ensure that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your school is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Acton MA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Acton MA area health care providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Acton health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Landing that initial job may be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Acton MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a college to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the program you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Acton MA, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol 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 Acton Massachusetts?

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

Acton, Massachusetts

Acton is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, approximately twenty-one miles west-northwest of Boston along Route 2 west of Concord and about ten miles (16 km) southwest of Lowell. The population was 21,929 at the 2010 census. It is bordered by Westford and Littleton to the north, Concord and Carlisle to the east, Stow, Maynard, and Sudbury to the south and Boxborough to the west. Acton became an incorporated town in 1735. The town employs the Open Town Meeting form of government with a Town Manager and an elected, five-member Board of Selectmen. Acton was named the 11th Best Place To Live among small towns in the country by Money Magazine in 2015, and the 16th best in 2009 and in 2011.[1] The local high school, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, was named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 2009.[2] In 2012, U.S. News & World Report ranked Acton-Boxborough #3 among open enrollment high schools and #7 overall for STEM education in the United States.[6]

Acton is located at 42°29′N 71°27′W / 42.483°N 71.450°W / 42.483; -71.450. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.3 square miles (53 km2), of which 20.0 square miles (52 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), or 1.53 percent, is water. Almost all of Acton is forested, except for where it has been cleared for residential or agricultural use. Some forested areas have been put aside for special use by corporations.

The current geography of Acton was created when the last wave of glaciers retreated approximately ten thousand years ago. Acton has nine drumlins — hills which are composed of glacial till. In addition, Wills Hole and Grassy Pond are kettle ponds which were formed in depressions in the till formed by large blocks of ice.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Acton MA

Acton MA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in What Can A Certified Medical Assistant Do. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Acton MA.