Clinical Medical Assistant Training Emmaus PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Emmaus Pennsylvania

Emmaus PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Emmaus PA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors also. You may want to look into several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Emmaus PA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their duty is to make sure that the Emmaus PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for 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 potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any activity 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) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Courses

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Emmaus 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 options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about 1 year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often 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 Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Emmaus PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good choice for students who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be carried out in Emmaus PA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the ideal 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 option for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing a position after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Emmaus PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Emmaus PA medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Emmaus PA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must look at when assessing programs. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many great reasons to make certain that the program you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete 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 program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Emmaus PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Emmaus PA area medical care providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students develop relationships within the Emmaus healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Landing that very first job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Emmaus PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Emmaus PA, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, ask 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 Emmaus Pennsylvania?

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

Emmaus, Pennsylvania

Emmaus (/ɛˈmeɪ.əs/ em-AY-əs) is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is 50 miles (80 km) north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's largest city, and 20 miles (32 km) west of the Delaware River.[3] Emmaus is located in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is in the New York City-Newark, New Jersey, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.

The population of Emmaus was 11,368 in 2015. This borough has been given many awards, including the Delaware Valley Green Building Council's Sustainable Community Award. In 2007[4] and 2009,[5] Emmaus has been listed as one of the top 100 "Best Places to Live" in the United States by Money magazine.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2), all land, though part of the Little Lehigh Creek, a tributary of the Lehigh River, flows just outside the Emmaus border with Salisbury Township. Emmaus borders South Mountain, a large mountain range. The town's elevation is 436 feet above sea level. Emmaus is located at approximately 40°32′13″N 75°29′45″W / 40.53694°N 75.49583°W / 40.53694; -75.49583.[7] It has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and is in hardiness zone 6b.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Course Emmaus PA

Emmaus PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Whether 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 must get the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Clinical Medical Assistant Training. But regardless of the type 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 provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Emmaus PA.