Medical Assistant Training Near Me Burlington MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Burlington Massachusetts

Burlington MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Burlington MA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You might choose to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Burlington MA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Burlington MA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing general support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Massachusetts law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Compared to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Burlington MA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created 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 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often 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 Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Burlington MA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent choice for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue to work full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized as well. But keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be carried out in Burlington MA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education may be the best choice for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential Burlington MA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Burlington MA medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Burlington MA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you need to examine when assessing schools. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several great reasons to make sure that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Burlington 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 create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are looking at provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Burlington MA area health care providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the Burlington medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Landing that very first job can be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Burlington MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Burlington MA, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Burlington Massachusetts?

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

Burlington, Massachusetts

It is believed that Burlington takes its name from the English town of Bridlington, Yorkshire, but this has never been confirmed[n 1]. It was first settled in 1641 and was officially incorporated on February 28, 1799; several of the early homesteads are still standing, such as the Francis Wyman House, dating from 1666. The town is sited on the watersheds of the Ipswich, Mystic, and Shawsheen rivers. In colonial times up through the late 19th century, there was industry in the mills along Vine Brook, which runs from Lexington to Bedford and then empties into the Shawsheen River.

Burlington is now a suburban industrial town at the junction of the Boston-Merrimack corridor, but for most of its history it was almost entirely agricultural, selling hops and rye to Boston and supplementing that income with small shoe-making shops. Early railroad expansion passed the town by (although the town was serviced by the Middlesex Turnpike), limiting its early development, and Burlington continued to cure hams for the Boston market and produce milk, fruit, and vegetables.

This picture changed drastically, however, as soon as Route 128 was built. The highway kicked off an enormous expansion, and between 1955 and 1965 Burlington was the fastest growing town in the state. In one five-year period, its population tripled as residential and commercial retail development exploded creating the town's present character. It is currently a residential and profesional hub.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant College Burlington MA

Burlington 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. Regardless if you’re planning to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training Near Me. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Burlington MA.