Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Mc Kees Rocks PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Program near Mc Kees Rocks Pennsylvania

Mc Kees Rocks PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Mc Kees Rocks PA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? Most prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You may choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have included a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short 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 a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Mc Kees Rocks PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their job is ensure that the Mc Kees Rocks PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. 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 physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Mc Kees Rocks PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical component 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 related field.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Mc Kees Rocks PA There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good option for those who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened also. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Mc Kees Rocks PA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the best choice for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Mc Kees Rocks PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Mc Kees Rocks PA medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of potential students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Mc Kees Rocks PA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must explore when evaluating programs. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to ensure that the college you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must 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 program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Mc Kees Rocks PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep 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 for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Mc Kees Rocks PA area health care providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students develop relationships within the Mc Kees Rocks medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Finding that first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Mc Kees Rocks PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large 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 offer increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to see what the teaching environment is like and just 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 school you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Mc Kees Rocks PA, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Mc Kees Rocks Pennsylvania?

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

McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania

In the past, the city was known for its extensive iron and steel interests. Also, there were large railroad machine shops, and manufacturers of locomotives, freight and passenger cars. Other city factories manufactured springs, enamel ware, lumber, wall materials, plaster, nuts and bolts, malleable castings, chains and forgings, tin ware, concrete, and cigars.

For thousands of years, Native Americans inhabited the region. The Adena culture built a large earthwork mound here, which was a burial site. It was augmented in later years by members of the Hopewell culture. This was the largest such mound in the state.

The mound crowned a high bluff that overlooks Chartiers Creek and the Ohio River. The bluff under the mound was quarried for municipal paving some time after the archaeological dig, eliminating what remained of the Indian burial site.

Choose the Best Medical Assistant Program Mc Kees Rocks PA

Mc Kees Rocks PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days 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 an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision 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 ideal program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Mc Kees Rocks PA.