How Long Is Medical Assistant Training Glen Mills PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Glen Mills Pennsylvania

Glen Mills PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Glen Mills PA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? A number of future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences 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 look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have included some questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

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

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the options available 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 Courses

Compared to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Glen Mills PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about a year to complete, 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 attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Glen Mills PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent alternative for individuals 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 option for students who continue to work full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized as well. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Glen Mills PA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the right choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Many possible Glen Mills PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Glen Mills PA medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many potential students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Glen Mills PA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must look at when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several great reasons to confirm that the school you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to 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 either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Glen Mills PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select 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 one year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Glen Mills PA area medical care providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Glen Mills health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Getting that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Glen Mills PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a college to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the college you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Glen Mills PA, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will still need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Glen Mills Pennsylvania?

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

Glen Mills, Pennsylvania

The area around Glen Mills was part of the original land grant given to William Penn in 1681. George Cheyney was the first settler here, for which the nearby town of Cheyney is named. Later, this land was sold and divided. The name Glen Mills is taken from two paper mills built by the Willcox family, one in 1835 and the second in 1846. From 1864 to 1878, these mills supplied the United States government with a special, patented paper for the printing of government bonds and notes.

The Glen Mills are no longer standing, but the grist mill built by Nathaniel Newlin in 1704 still stands and is a popular destination for picnickers and history buffs alike. A blacksmith shop was built on the former property in 1975.[3] The Newlin Mill Complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[4]

The West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad arrived in Glen Mills c. 1858, and provided train service between Philadelphia and West Chester.[5] The Pennsylvania Railroad took control of the rail line in 1880. Passenger trains through Glen Mills were operated by SEPTA until 1986. The West Chester Railroad, a heritage railway, currently operates trains between Glen Mills and West Chester on weekends.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Program Glen Mills PA

Glen Mills PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long Is Medical Assistant Training. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Glen Mills PA.