Best School For Medical Assistant Essex MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Essex Massachusetts

Essex MA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Essex MA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors also. You might decide to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have provided several questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Essex MA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their duty is to make sure that the Essex MA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

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

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Massachusetts law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and earn 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 Programs

Unlike most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Essex MA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about one year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs offered at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Essex MA There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Essex MA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the right choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for those who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Many possible Essex MA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate 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.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Essex MA medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Essex MA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should explore when assessing schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to make certain that the college you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Essex MA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select 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. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are considering provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Essex MA area medical providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the Essex healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Landing that very first job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Essex MA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the college you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Essex MA, make sure that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Essex Massachusetts?

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

Essex, Massachusetts

Essex is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, 26 miles (42 km) north of Boston and 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Newburyport. It is known for its former role as a center of shipbuilding. The population was 3,504 at the 2010 census.[1]

Essex was incorporated as a town in 1819. It was previously a part of the town of Ipswich and was then called Chebacco Parish. The first European settlers arrived in 1634. At that time, the land formed part of an area inhabited by Native Americans of the Agawam tribe. The name Chebacco is Agawam in origin and refers to a large lake whose waters extend into neighboring Hamilton. Conomo Point, the easternmost part of the town, is named for the Sagamore or Chief of the Agawams, Masconomo, the leader of the tribe in the late 17th century. Early on, Chebacco Parish lobbied for status as an independent town, asking for permission to build a meeting house. In colonial times, the existence of a meeting house in a settlement conferred de facto autonomy, so Chebacco Parish was denied permission to build such a structure. Popular history tells that one written dictate was issued stating that "no man shall raise a meeting house", so the residents of the settlement interpreted it as to mean that women would be allowed to do so. It is reported that a local woman, Madam Varney, assembled the town's women and construction of a meeting house was carried out by them while the men looked on. Jeremiah Shepard was a minister at the church in Chebacco Parish from 1678 to 1680. He was succeeded by John Wise, who was pastor of Chebacco Parish from 1680 to his death in 1725.[citation needed]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.9 square miles (41.3 km2), of which 14.0 square miles (36.2 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.1 km2), or 12.41%, is water.[2] The town does not have any direct access to Ipswich Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, with Essex Bay providing access through the northeast corner of town (the eastern half of the bay lies within Ipswich and Gloucester, with all of the outlet nominally belonging to Gloucester). The central part of Essex lies on marsh land that surrounds the Essex River. Essex River feeds Essex Bay, along with Castle Neck River (which provides most of the town's border with Ipswich) and several creeks, including Walker Creek, Hardys Creek and Soginese Creek. The land that makes up the limits of the town is close to sea level, with a few low hills dotting the landscape. Chebacco Lake and the surrounding wetlands make up most of the southwestern part of the town. Essex's population has increased at a sustainable rate over the last quarter century, so it still maintains a certain rural quality with abundant forested areas, wetlands and open spaces. There are several protected areas within town, including the Allyn-Cox Reservation, a portion of Crane Wildlife Refuge, the Stavros Reservation and the state Wildlife Management Area. The Crane Wildlife Refuge covers several of the islands in Essex Bay, including Choate Island.

Choose the Right Medical Assistant Training Essex MA

Essex MA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to launch 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 decision. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, for example 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 Best School For Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Essex MA.