Medical Assistant Responsibilities New Bedford MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near New Bedford Massachusetts

New Bedford MA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near New Bedford MA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Many prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You may choose to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have included several 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 role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with New Bedford MA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their function is to make sure that the New Bedford MA clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative 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 performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Massachusetts law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the choices 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 Programs

Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many New Bedford MA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational 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 usually have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. 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.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in New Bedford MA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good alternative for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be minimized as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be completed in New Bedford MA area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your education may be the ideal option for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing a position after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential New Bedford MA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and perhaps 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 exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask New Bedford MA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to New Bedford MA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to look at when assessing schools. To assist you with that process, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make certain that the program you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective New Bedford MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with New Bedford MA area medical care providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the New Bedford medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Finding that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the New Bedford MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator 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 provide greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a college to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full time, it’s important that the college you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near New Bedford MA, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near New Bedford Massachusetts?

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

New Bedford, Massachusetts

New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072,[3] making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts. New Bedford is nicknamed "The Whaling City" because during the 19th century, the city was one of the most important whaling ports in the world, along with Nantucket, Massachusetts and New London, Connecticut.[4] The city, along with Fall River and Taunton, make up the three largest cities in the South Coast region of Massachusetts.

Before the 17th century, the Wampanoag, who had settlements throughout southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, were the only inhabitants of the lands along the Acushnet River. Their population is believed to have been about 12,000. While exploring New England, Bartholomew Gosnold landed on Cuttyhunk Island on May 15, 1602. From there, he explored Cape Cod and the neighboring areas, including the site of present-day New Bedford. However, rather than settle the area, he returned to England at the request of his crew.

Europeans first settled New Bedford in 1652. English Plymouth Colony settlers purchased the land from chief Massasoit of the Wampanoag tribe. Whether the transfer of the land was legitimately done has been the subject of intense controversy. Like other native tribes, the Wampanoags did not share the settlers' concepts of private property. The tribe may have believed they were granting usage rights to the land, not giving it up permanently.

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Course New Bedford MA

New Bedford MA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools 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, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Responsibilities. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan 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 supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in New Bedford MA.