Medical Assistant Registration Downingtown PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Downingtown Pennsylvania

Downingtown PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Downingtown PA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? Most future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You may decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Downingtown PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their job is ensure that the Downingtown PA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming 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 exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the choices offered 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 Courses

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Downingtown PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about a year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided 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 liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Downingtown PA There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good choice for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized as well. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Downingtown PA area medical 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 best choice for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Downingtown PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Downingtown PA medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend 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 covered at the opening of this article, many prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Downingtown PA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to explore when assessing schools. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many great reasons to make certain that the program you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged organizations 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 either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Downingtown PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select 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 opt to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Downingtown PA area medical providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Downingtown healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Getting that initial 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 evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Downingtown PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may 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 likely to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a college to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the program you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Downingtown PA, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Downingtown Pennsylvania?

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

Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Downingtown is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 33 miles (53 km) west of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 7,891. Downingtown was settled by English and European colonists in the early 18th century and has a number of historic buildings and structures.

The town was originally named Milltown due to its number of mills along the East Branch Brandywine Creek, the first of which was founded by Daniel Butter. The Butter family also had paper mills in the area, and Frederick Bicking from Winterburg, Germany, was the patriarch of the Bicking paper families. Around the time of the American Revolution, Milltown became more commonly known as Downingtown after the prominent businessman Thomas Downing,[3] a Quaker immigrant in 1717 from Bradninch, Devon, England, who owned a number of those mills. The town was officially named Downingtown in 1812.

The town is located along the Lincoln Highway (now part of U.S. Route 30) which runs from the East Coast to the West Coast. It was an early westward road in the wagon days as the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike. The Lincoln Highway was the first paved road to cross the nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike started in the early 1940s and was completed in the early 1950s; it runs north of US 30, bypassing Downingtown.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Training Program Downingtown PA

Downingtown PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Registration. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Downingtown PA.