Accredited Schools For Medical Assistant Blairsville PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Blairsville Pennsylvania

Blairsville PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Blairsville PA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? A number of prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes 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 factors as well. You may decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have provided some questions that you should ask each 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 training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Blairsville PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their role is ensure that the Blairsville PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work operate efficiently. 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 tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

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

Although medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options 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 Programs

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Blairsville PA health care employers prefer 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 fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs available at community and junior 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 clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied 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 Blairsville PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent choice for students who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced as well. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Blairsville PA area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the ideal option for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Blairsville PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. 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). To qualify to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Blairsville PA medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you must decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Blairsville PA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to explore when assessing programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the school you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education 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 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 either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Blairsville PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, verify that the colleges you are reviewing provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Blairsville PA area health care providers. They are a great way to get hands-on practical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the Blairsville healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Landing that initial job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Blairsville PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the program you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Blairsville PA, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol 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 Blairsville Pennsylvania?

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

Blairsville, Pennsylvania

Blairsville was settled in 1818 and incorporated in 1825. In the past, railway shops, foundries, machine shops, enameling plants, and manufactories of plate glass and lumber employed the residents. It was the seat of Blairsville College, a Presbyterian institution opened in 1851, and currently houses a campus for Wyoming Technical Institute.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 3,607 people, 1,631 households, and 983 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,591.3 people per square mile (1,001.9/km²). There were 1,830 housing units at an average density of 1,314.7 per square mile (508.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.68% White, 2.99% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.06% of the population.

There were 1,631 households, out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.90.

Choose the Best Medical Assistant Training Blairsville PA

Blairsville PA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you select 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 Accredited Schools For Medical Assistant. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend 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 provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Blairsville PA.