How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training Program near Harveys Lake Pennsylvania
Once you have decided to join the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Harveys Lake PA, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? A number of potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You may want to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.
The Duties of Medical Assistants
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Harveys Lake PA clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Based 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 giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- 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 may carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the options 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 Programs
In contrast to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Harveys Lake PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about a year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as 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 training. They frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Online Medical Assistant Courses
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent choice for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue working full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Harveys Lake PA area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the best choice for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Harveys Lake PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among 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 examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Harveys Lake PA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must explore when researching programs. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several great reasons to confirm that the college you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction 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 acknowledged 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 school is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Harveys Lake PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Harveys Lake PA area health care providers. They are a great method to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students develop relationships within the Harveys Lake medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Landing that first job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Harveys Lake 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 a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before selecting a college to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the program you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Harveys Lake PA, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that will 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 Harveys Lake Pennsylvania?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Harveys Lake PA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania
Harveys Lake is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Back Mountain, a 118 square mile region in northern Luzerne County. The borough is named after the lake, its principal feature, which in turn was named after Benjamin Harvey, who discovered it in 1781. Harvey was a member of the Sons of Liberty, an eminent colonial-era group that fought against Great Britain's Stamp Act of 1765. As of the 2010 census, the population of the borough of Harveys Lake was 2,791.[4]
Harveys Lake became a major resort destination in the early 20th century, attracting tourists from all over the Northeast. Hotels, cottages, boathouses, a casino, and even an amusement park were constructed around the lake. The grand Hotel Oneonta was especially prominent in the early 1900s; former United States President Theodore Roosevelt was a guest in August 1912.[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.0 km2), of which 5.2 square miles (13.4 km2) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2), or 16.45%, is water.[7] The lake has a maximum depth of 104 feet (32 m). Pennsylvania Route 415, which encircles the lake, is a major highway in the borough. Most of the homes and businesses are located within proximity to the lake. Forested mountains are located on the outskirts of town.
Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Course Harveys Lake PA
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Courses Near Me. 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, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Harveys Lake PA.
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