Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Cataumet MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Cataumet Massachusetts

Cataumet MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Cataumet MA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? Many prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You might decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Cataumet MA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their role is ensure that the Cataumet MA hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Depending on the size or type 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 health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Massachusetts law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the options 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

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Cataumet MA 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 two options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Cataumet MA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent choice for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized also. Just keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be carried out in Cataumet MA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education might be the best option for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Cataumet MA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among 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). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Cataumet MA medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Cataumet MA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of 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 programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to ensure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become 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 program is not accredited by either 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 frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Cataumet MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to enroll in 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 one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are reviewing provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Cataumet MA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Cataumet healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Finding that initial job can 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 evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Cataumet MA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a school to observe what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Cataumet MA, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will also have to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Cataumet Massachusetts?

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

Bourne, Massachusetts

Bourne was first settled in 1640 by Ezra Perry as a part of the town of Sandwich. It was officially incorporated in 1884, the last town to be incorporated in Barnstable County.[2] It was named for Jonathan Bourne Sr. (1811-1889), whose ancestor Richard Bourne represented Sandwich in the first Massachusetts General Court and was the first preacher to the Mashpee Wampanoag on Cape Cod.[3] The town lies at the northeast corner of Buzzards Bay and is the site of Aptucxet Trading Post, the nation's oldest store. It was founded by the Pilgrims in 1627 at a site halfway between the two rivers which divided Cape Cod from the rest of the state. It was out of this location that the Cape Cod Canal was formed, in order to save time and lives by eliminating the need to sail around the hazardous eastern shores of the Cape. Because of the canal, Bourne is now considered the "first" town on the Cape, as all three bridges (the Bourne, Sagamore and the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge) are located within the town. Most of Bourne is on Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay and Sagamore Beach being the villages that are on the mainland side with Buttermilk bay forming the western edge of the peninsula (cape) and the Bourndale Road forming the northern boundary to the cape.

Otis Air National Guard Base is partially located in the town. The United States Air Force space command system PAVE PAWS northeast radar is located within Bourne's borders inside Otis Air National Guard Base.

Bourne is located at the western end of Cape Cod, with the Cape Cod Canal cutting across the northern portion of the town. It is bordered by Sandwich to the east, Falmouth to the south, Marion and Wareham to the west, and Plymouth and Cape Cod Bay to the north. The town lies approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Barnstable, 55 miles (89 km) south-southeast of Boston, and the same distance east of Providence, Rhode Island. The border with Plymouth and Wareham in Plymouth County constitutes the only landed border between Barnstable County and any other county (the borders with Dukes and Nantucket counties lie in Nantucket Sound). Major localities of Bourne include Bournedale and Buzzards Bay on the west side of the Cape Cod Canal, Sagamore, which straddles the canal, and Bourne village, Monument Beach, Pocasset, and Cataumet on the east side of the canal.

Pick the Best Medical Assistant School Cataumet MA

Cataumet MA 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 healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, 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 Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. But regardless of the kind 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 so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Cataumet MA.