Medical Assistant Accreditation Rockland MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Rockland Massachusetts

Rockland MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Rockland MA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently pick the best one? A number of potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You might choose to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have included several questions that you should 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 kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Rockland MA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Rockland MA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers where they work run successfully. 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 support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Giving general support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are authorized to under Massachusetts law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Rockland MA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about a year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Rockland MA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good alternative for those who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized also. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Rockland MA area health 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 right choice for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for graduates who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Rockland MA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and possibly 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, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate 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 offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Rockland MA medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Rockland MA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many great reasons to confirm that the school you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Rockland MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make sure that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Rockland MA area medical care providers. They are a great method to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Rockland healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Finding that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Rockland MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a college to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Rockland 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 also need to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Rockland Massachusetts?

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

Rockland, Massachusetts

Rockland was settled by European settlers, as a northeastern region of neighboring Abington in 1673. The town separated and incorporated as Rockland on March 9, 1874. It is named for the town's rocky nature, which was better suited for mills and industry than for farming. During King Philip's War, the town was the site of an encampment during his raids on the town of Scituate.[3]

During the twentieth century, the town was the site of a portion of the landing strips of the South Weymouth Naval Air Station. The airstrip closed in 1996 as a part of the fourth round of closures under the Base Realignment and Closure Act.[citation needed]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 10.1 square miles (26 km2), of which 10.0 square miles (26 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 0.79%, is water. Rockland ranks 307th out of 351 communities in the Commonwealth. Rockland is bordered by Weymouth to the northwest, Hingham to the northeast, Norwell to the northeast, Hanover to the east, Hanson to the south, Whitman to the southwest, and Abington to the west. Rockland is 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Brockton and 22 miles (35 km) south of Boston.[citation needed]

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Rockland MA

Rockland 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. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Accreditation. But irrespective of the type 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 supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Rockland MA.