Best Medical Assistant Programs Pittsfield MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Program near Pittsfield Massachusetts

Pittsfield MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Pittsfield MA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? A number of future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You may decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Pittsfield MA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their duty is ensure that the Pittsfield MA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run 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 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 potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

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

Medical Assistant Training Courses

Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Pittsfield MA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at junior and community colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a practical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. 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 related field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Pittsfield MA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent alternative for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized as well. But bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be carried out in Pittsfield MA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for individuals who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Pittsfield MA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Pittsfield MA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Pittsfield MA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should examine when evaluating programs. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several good reasons to confirm that the school you choose is accredited. To begin 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 need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Pittsfield MA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Pittsfield MA area medical providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Pittsfield medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Finding that very first job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Pittsfield MA area and ask 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 health care community. It also suggests that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a college to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the college you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Pittsfield MA, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also need to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Pittsfield Massachusetts?

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

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Pittsfield is the largest city and the historic county seat of Berkshire County,[2]Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. The population was 44,737 at the 2010 census.[3] Although the population has declined in recent decades, Pittsfield remains the fourth largest municipality in western Massachusetts, behind only Springfield, Holyoke, and Chicopee.

In 2005, Farmers Insurance ranked Pittsfield 20th in the United States as "Most Secure Place To Live" among small towns with fewer than 150,000 residents.[4] In 2006, Forbes ranked Pittsfield as number 61 in its list of Best Small Places for Business.[5] In 2008, Country Home magazine ranked Pittsfield as #24 in a listing of "green cities" east of the Mississippi.[6] In 2009, the City of Pittsfield was chosen to receive a 2009 Commonwealth Award, Massachusetts' highest award in the arts, humanities, and sciences.[7] In 2010, the Financial Times proclaimed Pittsfield the "Brooklyn of the Berkshires", in an article covering its recent renaissance.[8]

In 2012, the city was listed among the 10 best places for single people to retire in the U.S. by U.S. News, due to the high number of single older residents and higher likelihood of finding companionship or a partner.[9]

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant College Pittsfield MA

Pittsfield MA medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Best Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Pittsfield MA.