National Certified Medical Assistant Nahant MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Nahant Massachusetts

Nahant MA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Nahant MA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Most prospective students begin by evaluating 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 very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You might want to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have provided some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Nahant MA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their duty is to make sure that the Nahant MA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work operate successfully. Based on the size or type 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 physicians, nurses and other health professionals but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Massachusetts law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

Compared to most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Nahant MA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a practical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. 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.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Nahant MA There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good alternative for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened also. Just remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Nahant MA area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the right option 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, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for individuals who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing a position after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Nahant MA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify 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. Additional certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Nahant MA medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Nahant MA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should look at when evaluating schools. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the college you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in 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 one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Nahant MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to choose a program targeting 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 ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to acquiring 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, although the average is about one year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Nahant MA area health care providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Nahant healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Getting that very first job may be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Nahant MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before choosing a college to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the program you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Nahant MA, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also have to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Nahant Massachusetts?

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

Nahant, Massachusetts

Nahant /nəˈhɑːnt/ is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,410 at the 2010 census, which makes it the smallest municipality by population in Essex County.[1] With just 1.0 square mile (2.7 km2) of land area, it is the smallest municipality by area in the state. It is primarily a residential community.

Native Americans called the area Nahant, meaning "the point" or "almost an island." The original Indian name of the place, Nahanten, signifies twins or two things united, referring to the two connected islands forming it.[2] Located on a tied island jutting into Massachusetts Bay, it was first settled in 1630, in the second year of the Puritan coming. The servants of Isaac Johnson grazed his cattle on the land, and it was also often used by citizens of Lynn for grazing cattle, sheep and goats. Before 1800 there were only three homes on the island: those built by the Breeds and the Hoods, and the Johnson home built by Jeremiah Gray. The first hotel was built by one of the Johnsons 1802, and in 1817 a steamboat ran daily between Boston and Nahant. The town was originally part of Lynn; when the temperance movement threatened the summer resort trade in 1853, Nahant incorporated as a separate town. In the late 19th century, it was home to some of the country's first amusement parks, as well as a popular summer retreat for the wealthy, including the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The geologist Louis Agassiz was a resident and the artist William Stanley Haseltine produced many versions of his oil painting 'The Rocks at Nahant'.[3] During World War II, East Point was the site of a coastal artillery. It is now a town park, and location of the Marine Science Center for Northeastern University.

In 2003, the dilapidated Valley Road School was refurbished and re-commissioned as the Nahant Community Center, which is now home to many local activities and banquets, including the local Boy Scout Troop 50.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Program Nahant MA

Nahant MA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in National Certified Medical Assistant. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Nahant MA.