Medical Assistant Degree Requirements Richmond MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training School near Richmond Massachusetts

Richmond MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Richmond MA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many future students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You might want to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have provided several questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” 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 available.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Richmond MA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Richmond MA hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many duties 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 tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Massachusetts law, some elect to specialize in a specific 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 Training

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Richmond MA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Richmond MA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good choice for individuals who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Richmond MA area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your education may be the ideal choice for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Richmond 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 possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Richmond MA medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Richmond MA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you need to explore when researching schools. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many good reasons to ensure that the program you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations 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 qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Richmond MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to 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 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 just one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Richmond MA area healthcare providers. They are a great way to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Richmond medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Getting that first job can be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Richmond MA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Richmond MA, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Richmond Massachusetts?

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

Richmond, Massachusetts

The area around Richmond was settled as part of the town of Stockbridge in 1756. The town was set apart and incorporated in 1765, and named for Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond. The town of Lenox, which grew out of the village of Yokuntown, was also named for him when it was incorporated two years later. The town was mostly agrarian until the discovery of iron ore in 1829, which led to an iron works which lasted into the twentieth century.[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.0 square miles (49.2 km2), of which 18.7 square miles (48.4 km2) is land and 0.31 square miles (0.8 km2), or 1.71%, is water.[1]

Massachusetts Route 41 passes from north to south through the town, and Route 295, the state's highest-numbered state route, continues from Route 41 to the corresponding New York state route. The nearest interstate is Interstate 90, also known as the Massachusetts Turnpike. Exit 1 is located two miles further south along Route 41, but only allows for westbound exit and eastbound entrance. The nearest westbound entrance to the interstate is in Canaan, at the Berkshire Spur (Connector) portion of the New York State Thruway, Exit B3. The nearest municipal airport is Pittsfield Municipal Airport, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) away, and the nearest airport serving national flights is Albany International Airport, 45 miles (72 km) northwest of the town. There is no bus service in town, and the nearest bus station is in Pittsfield. There is also a CSX freight rail line which passes through the town.[3]

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant College Richmond MA

Richmond MA medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Degree Requirements. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Richmond MA.