Medical Assistant Course Outline Kresgeville PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School near Kresgeville Pennsylvania

Kresgeville PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Kresgeville PA, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? A number of future students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You might choose to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

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

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some choose 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Kresgeville 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 essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to finish, a few as little as six to nine 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 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive 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 healthcare practice. 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.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Kresgeville PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent alternative for those who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized also. But keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Kresgeville PA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the best choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for individuals who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Kresgeville PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of 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 be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Kresgeville PA medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Kresgeville PA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the school you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Kresgeville PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Kresgeville PA area medical care providers. They are a great method to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Kresgeville health care community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Landing that initial job can be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Kresgeville PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high 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 wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a program to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full time, it’s essential that the school you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Kresgeville PA, make certain that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Kresgeville Pennsylvania?

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

Pennsylvania Route 534

Pennsylvania Route 534 (PA 534) is an 23.5-mile-long (37.8 km) state highway located in Monroe and Carbon counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 940 in East Side. The eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 209 (US 209) in the community of Kresgeville in Polk Township. PA 534 runs northwest-southeast through forested areas of the Pocono Mountains as a two-lane undivided road. The route has an interchange with Interstate 80 (I-80) near East Side before it passes through Hickory Run State Park. PA 534 crosses PA 903 near Albrightsville and continues south to US 209. The roadway was paved in the 1930s and received the PA 534 designation in the 1960s.

PA 534 begins at an intersection with PA 940 on the border of East Side and Kidder Township in Carbon County, heading south on a two-lane undivided road. The route forms the border between East Side to the west and Kidder Township to the east, heading through a mix of fields and woods with some businesses as it comes to an interchange with I-80. The road heads into forested areas and passes to the east of a golf course as it fully enters Kidder Township, curving to the southwest. PA 534 reaches the community of Lehigh Tannery, turning to the southeast before continuing east into dense forests. The road heads into Hickory Run State Park and turns southeast before curving northeast and passing through Hickory Run. The route runs east through more forested areas of the state park, heading east-southeast and passing under I-476 (Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike).[2][3]

PA 534 leaves Hickory Run State Park and heads through more wooded areas with some farm fields and homes, passing through Albrightsville before passing to the south of the residential development of Holiday Pocono and intersecting PA 903. A short distance later, the road crosses into Penn Forest Township and turns southeast, running through more woodland with some farmland and residences. The route passes to the southeast of a lake before running through Meckesville and the wooded residential development of Indian Mountain Lake before turning south.[2][3]

Select the Right Medical Assistant Training Kresgeville PA

Kresgeville PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the right information on available programs prior to 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 pick is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Course Outline. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Kresgeville PA.