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How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training School near Sturbridge Massachusetts

Sturbridge 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 Sturbridge MA, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Many future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest 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 issues also. You may want to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included a few questions that you should ask all of the schools 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 credentials and training that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Sturbridge MA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Sturbridge MA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type 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 health professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Massachusetts law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Sturbridge MA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed 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 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Sturbridge MA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good choice for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be carried out in Sturbridge MA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your education might be the best choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Sturbridge MA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Sturbridge MA medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you must choose which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Sturbridge MA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to look at when researching schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the program you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Sturbridge MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to acquiring 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 choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Sturbridge MA area health care providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students develop relationships within the Sturbridge health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Landing that very first job may be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Sturbridge MA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the college you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Sturbridge MA, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Sturbridge Massachusetts?

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

Sturbridge, Massachusetts

The area that is today Sturbridge was first visited by the English Puritans in 1644 when John Winthrop the Younger visted the area now known as Tantisques. Winthrop II bought the land from Tantasqua (local area sachem) and mined graphite, lead, and iron. The mine stayed in the Winthrop family as late as 1784 and was in operation until 1910. Sturbridge was first settled by the English in 1729 by settlers from Medfield, and was officially incorporated in 1738.[2] New Medfield and Dummer (after Governor William Dummer) were considered as town names before the town was named after Stourbridge, England.[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.0 square miles (101 km2), of which 37.4 square miles (97 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (4 km2), or 3.95%, is water. Sturbridge is bordered by Charlton and Southbridge to the east, Union, Connecticut and Woodstock, Connecticut to the south, Brimfield and Holland to the west, and Brookfield and East Brookfield to the north. Sturbridge lies about 29 miles (47 km) east of Springfield, 16 miles (25.7 km) southwest of Worcester, and 55 miles (88.5 km) west of Boston.

U.S. Route 20 runs through Sturbridge, and the junction of Interstate 90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike) and Interstate 84 is located there. The Wilbur Cross Highway (Connecticut Route 15) formerly ended in Sturbridge; locals sometimes call Haynes Street and portions of Mashapaug Road "Old Route 15". Haynes Street ends at Main Street (Massachusetts Route 131), which connects Sturbridge Center with Southbridge; on the west side of town, Massachusetts Route 148 connects Fiskdale with Brookfield. On August 18, 1955 gale-force winds and torrential downpour from Hurricane Diane created floodwaters that broke dams in surrounding towns and flooded the village.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Sturbridge MA

Sturbridge MA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to obtain the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Top Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Sturbridge MA.