Medical Assistant School Time Somerville MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Somerville Massachusetts

Somerville MA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Somerville MA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? A number of prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost 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 alternative 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 aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have included some questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Somerville MA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their job is to make sure that the Somerville MA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work operate successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Massachusetts law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and obtain 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 Courses

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Somerville MA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about one year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a practical 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.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Somerville MA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good alternative for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized also. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be completed in Somerville MA area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the best option for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Somerville MA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Somerville MA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you must decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Somerville MA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make sure that the program you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Somerville MA employers will not hire 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 ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, verify that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Somerville MA area healthcare providers. They are a great way to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Somerville medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Getting that first job can be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Somerville MA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may 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 offer increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to see 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 program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the program you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Somerville MA, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Somerville Massachusetts?

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

Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville (/ˈsʌmərvɪl/ SUM-ər-vil) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of 2010[update], the United States Census lists the city with a total population of 75,754 people, making it the most densely populated municipality in New England. As of 2010[update], it was the 16th most densely populated incorporated municipality in the country. Somerville was established as a town in 1842, when it was separated from Charlestown. In 2006, the city was named the best-run city in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe.[3] In 1972, in 2009, and again in 2015, the city received the All-America City Award.[4][5] It is home to Tufts University.

The territory now comprising the city of Somerville was first settled in 1629 as part of Charlestown. In 1629, English surveyor Thomas Graves led a scouting party of 100 Puritans from the settlement of Salem to prepare the site for the Great Migration of Puritans from England. Graves was attracted to the narrow Mishawum Peninsula between the Charles River and the Mystic River, linked to the mainland at the present-day Sullivan Square. The area of earliest settlement was based at City Square on the peninsula, though the territory of Charlestown officially included all of what is now Somerville, as well as Melrose, Malden,[6]Stoneham,[7]Medford, Everett, Woburn, Burlington, and parts of Arlington and Cambridge.[8] From that time until 1842, the area of present-day Somerville was referred to as "beyond the Neck" in reference to the thin spit of land, the Charlestown Neck, that connected it to the Charlestown Peninsula.[9]

The first European settler in Somerville of whom there is any record was John Woolrich, an Indian trader who came from the Charlestown Peninsula in 1630, and settled near Dane Street. Others soon followed Woolrich, locating in the vicinity of present-day Union Square. The population continued to slowly increase, and by 1775 there were about 500 inhabitants scattered across the area. Otherwise, the area was mostly used as grazing and farmland. It was once known as the "Stinted Pasture" or "Cow Commons", as early settlers of Charlestown had the right to pasture a certain number of cows in the area.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant College Somerville MA

Somerville MA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant School Time. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Somerville MA.