How to Pick a Medical Assistant Program near Bedford Pennsylvania
Once you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Bedford PA, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Many potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You may decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.
The Role of Medical Assistants
The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their role is ensure that the Bedford PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work operate successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and filing claims
- Scheduling and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Providing general support during exams and procedures
Although medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some choose 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 Courses
Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Bedford PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. 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.
Medical Assistant Online Schools
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened also. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be carried out in Bedford PA area medical 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 classes and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for those who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Bedford PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you must choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Bedford PA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to look at when researching schools. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several great reasons to make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, 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 one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Bedford PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are considering offer the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Bedford PA area health care providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students develop relationships within the Bedford healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Support Offered? Landing that very first job can be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Bedford PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a college to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the college you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Bedford PA, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Bedford Pennsylvania?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Bedford PA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Bedford, Pennsylvania
Bedford is a borough in and the county seat of Bedford County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.[4] It is located 102 miles (164 km) west of Harrisburg, the state capital, and 107 miles (172 km) east of Pittsburgh. Bedford's population was 2,841 at the 2010 census.[5]
Growing up around Fort Bedford, which had been constructed near the trading post called Raystown, Bedford was settled about 1751 and laid out in 1766. Bedford was incorporated on March 13, 1795.[6] For many years it was an important frontier military post. The Espy House in Bedford is notable for having been the headquarters of George Washington and his force of 13,000 while putting down the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794, which had started around the Jean Bonnet Tavern just west of Bedford.
In 1758 the British Army came to the vicinity of John Ray's trading post to set up Fort Bedford, named for the politically powerful Duke of Bedford in England. Some believe this is how the town later got its name. Fort Bedford was built as one of the many British Army stepping stones through the state leading to the forks of the Ohio River; the other side of the forks was dominated by Indians. The British used the fort to drive out the French to ensure the new continent would be British controlled. The fort was later a safe house for settlers escaping Indian raids. Fort Bedford was "liberated" ten years before the Revolution by American rebels, James Smith's Black Boys, and was the first fort taken from the British. The fort later collapsed; it was reconstructed in 1958.
Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Training Bedford PA
It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Accreditation. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Bedford PA.
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