Clinical Medical Assistant Programs Huntingdon Valley PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training Program near Huntingdon Valley Pennsylvania

Huntingdon Valley PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Huntingdon Valley PA, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Many prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have included several questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Huntingdon Valley PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their job is to make sure that the Huntingdon Valley PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work operate successfully. 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 giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and obtain 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 Training Programs

In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Huntingdon Valley PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two options 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 generally take about one year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Huntingdon Valley PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent option for individuals who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized also. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be performed in Huntingdon Valley PA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training might be the ideal option for you. With the online lessons 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 an excellent choice for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Huntingdon Valley PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Huntingdon Valley PA medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you must choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Huntingdon Valley PA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to look at when researching schools. To assist you with that process, 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 College Accredited? There are many great reasons to make sure that the school you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Huntingdon Valley 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 ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must determine which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Next, find out what the school’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. Naturally programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Huntingdon Valley PA area healthcare providers. They are a great way to get hands-on practical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the Huntingdon Valley medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Finding that very first job may be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Huntingdon Valley PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the program you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Huntingdon Valley PA, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Huntingdon Valley Pennsylvania?

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

Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

Huntingdon Valley is a village, as well as a suburban mailing address located in Lower Moreland Township, Upper Moreland Township and Abington Township all in Montgomery County, and in small sections of Upper Southampton Township and Lower Southampton Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania bordering the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States.

The village of Huntingdon Valley is located along Huntingdon Pike (Pennsylvania Route 232). The Lady Washington Inn was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1] The inn is believed to have held first lady, Martha Washington while George Washington was at Valley Forge. The region saw early settlements and mills along the Pennypack Creek. The Fetter's Mill Village Historic District is located in the valley through which the Pennypack Creek flows. The area surrounding the original village was very rural up until the latter half of the 20th Century.

Originally referred to as "Goosetown,"[2] Huntingdon Valley boasts some of the highest standards of living in the Greater Philadelphia area with 90% of the Township being single-dwelling homes and having one of the highest per capita incomes in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.[3] Huntingdon Valley (zip 19006), Pennsylvania,sales tax rate is 6.00%. Income tax is 4.07%. The income per capita is $45,125, which includes all adults and children. The median household income is $94,961.

Pick the Best Medical Assistant Course Huntingdon Valley PA

Huntingdon Valley PA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Clinical Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Huntingdon Valley PA.