How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training Program near Duncansville Pennsylvania
Once you have decided to enter the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Duncansville PA, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Most future students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You might choose 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 complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have included a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting 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 job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their job is ensure that the Duncansville PA clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending 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 physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
- Scheduling and verifying appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures
Although medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and obtain 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
Unlike most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Duncansville 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 essentially two choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created 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 two year programs provided at junior and community colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a clinical component requiring 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 related field.
Medical Assistant Online Colleges
There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good choice for students who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened also. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Duncansville PA area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the best choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Duncansville PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.
Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to 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 begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Duncansville PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must examine when evaluating schools. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to ensure that the college you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Duncansville PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma 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 choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, verify that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Duncansville PA area medical providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students develop relationships within the Duncansville medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Help Provided? Landing that first job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Duncansville PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies 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 individual instruction you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the program you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Duncansville PA, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also need to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Duncansville Pennsylvania?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Duncansville PA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Duncansville, Pennsylvania
Duncansville is a borough in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Altoona, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Duncansville is one of the communities that comprises the Altoona Urban Area. The population was 1,233 at the 2010 census.
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 1,238 people, 580 households, and 338 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,312.5 people per square mile (885.2/km²). There were 610 housing units at an average density of 1,139.4 per square mile (436.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.47% White, 0.48% African American, 0.08% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.
There were 580 households, out of which 19.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.84.
Pick the Right Medical Assistant College Duncansville PA
It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the right 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 individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Summer Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Duncansville PA.
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