Best Colleges For Medical Assistant Birdsboro PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Program near Birdsboro Pennsylvania

Birdsboro PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Birdsboro PA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Most prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You might want to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Birdsboro PA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Birdsboro PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work run efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the choices available 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 Training Programs

In contrast to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Birdsboro PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, some 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 obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Birdsboro PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent choice for students who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. But remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be carried out in Birdsboro PA area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the right option for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform 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 choice for those who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in getting a job after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Birdsboro PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. One of 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 sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Birdsboro PA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Birdsboro PA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must look at when assessing schools. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in 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 program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Birdsboro PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Birdsboro PA area health care providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Birdsboro health care community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Landing that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Birdsboro PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a college to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the college you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Birdsboro PA, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Birdsboro Pennsylvania?

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

Birdsboro, Pennsylvania

Birdsboro is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located along the Schuylkill River, it is 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Reading. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 5,163.[3] In the past, Birdsboro was noted for its large foundries and machine shops, none of which remain in operation today.

Birdsboro was named for ironmaker William Bird, who established a forge on Hay Creek about 1740. His son Marcus founded Hopewell Furnace in 1771, which was the largest domestic producer of iron by the time of the American Revolution. The Schuylkill Canal, running parallel to the river, was completed in 1827. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, constructed to haul anthracite coal, was completed in 1843. Edward and George Brooke, descendants of the Birds, established the Birdsboro Iron Foundry Company (1867), which became Birdsboro Steel Company (1905). The principal employer for 120 years, the steel plant closed in 1988, following a lengthy strike.[4]

The borough was created in 1872, from sections of Union and Robeson townships. Its population increased slowly from 2,261 in 1890, to 2,264 in 1900, to 2,930 in 1910. The population was 5,064 at the 2000 census.[5]

Pick the Right Medical Assistant College Birdsboro PA

Birdsboro PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Best Colleges For Medical Assistant. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online 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 right program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Birdsboro PA.