Medical Assistant School Time Northampton PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Northampton Pennsylvania

Northampton PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Northampton PA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? Most potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You might decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Northampton PA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Northampton PA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Northampton PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about a year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. 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 Northampton PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent option for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced as well. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be carried out in Northampton PA area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your education might be the ideal option for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting a position after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Northampton PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided 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. Additional certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Northampton PA medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Northampton PA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you need to examine when assessing programs. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many good reasons to confirm that the college you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Northampton PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are looking at provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Northampton PA area medical providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students build relationships within the Northampton medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Provided? Landing that first job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Northampton PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a college to observe 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 working full time, it’s essential that the school you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Northampton PA, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Northampton Pennsylvania?

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

Northampton County, Pennsylvania

Northampton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 297,735.[1] Its county seat is Easton.[2] The county was formed in 1752 from parts of Bucks County. Its namesake was Northamptonshire and the county seat of Easton is named for the country house Easton Neston.

Northampton County is included in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area. Its northern edge borders The Poconos, and its eastern section borders the Delaware River, which divides Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The county is industrially-oriented, producing anthracite coal, cement, and other industrial products. Bethlehem Steel, once one of the world's largest manufacturers of steel, was located there prior to its closing in 2003.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Course Northampton PA

Northampton PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant School Time. But irrespective 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 so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Northampton PA.