Certified Medical Assistant Fountainville PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Fountainville Pennsylvania

Fountainville PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Fountainville PA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? A number of prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors also. You might decide to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are assessing. And to assist you with that process, we have included some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Fountainville PA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Fountainville PA clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some choose to specialize in a specific 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

Unlike most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Fountainville PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about one year to complete, 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 option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Fountainville PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good option for individuals who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized also. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Fountainville PA area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the ideal choice for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Fountainville PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty 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.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Fountainville PA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Fountainville PA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must look at when researching 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 final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to ensure that the college you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Fountainville PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive 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 decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Fountainville PA area medical care providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Fountainville health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Getting that first job can be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Fountainville PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

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

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the college you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Fountainville PA, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will also need to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Fountainville Pennsylvania?

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

Plumstead Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 27.2 square miles (70.5 km²), of which, 27.2 square miles (70.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.18%) is water. It is drained by the Delaware River, which separates it from New Jersey. Past and present villages include Carversville (also in Solebury Township,) Cross Keys (also in Doylestown Township,) Curley Hill, Danboro, Dyerstown, Fountainville, Gardenville, Griers Corner (also in Bedminster and Hilltown Townships,) Groveland, Hinkletown, Kendigtown, Keplers Corner, Landisville, Lower Black Eddy, Lumberville, Melchers Corner, Plumsteadville, Point Pleasant (also in Tinicum Township), Smiths Corner, Smithtown, and Wismer.[4]

As of the 2010 census, the township was 94.1% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.7% Asian, and 1.4% were two or more races. 4.7% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[6]

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 11,409 people, 3,938 households, and 3,130 families residing in the township. The population density was 420.1 people per square mile (162.2/km²). There were 4,103 housing units at an average density of 151.1/sq mi (58.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.36% White, 0.71% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Program Fountainville PA

Fountainville PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will provide the right training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days 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 pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, 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 Certified Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Fountainville PA.