Medical Assistant Scope Of Practice Quakertown PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Program near Quakertown Pennsylvania

Quakertown PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Quakertown PA, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most future students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You might decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Quakertown PA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their function is ensure that the Quakertown PA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting 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 examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the choices 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 Courses

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Quakertown PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Quakertown PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good option for those 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 solution for students who continue to work full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be minimized also. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Quakertown PA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the best choice for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Quakertown PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Quakertown PA medical assistant programs Before you can start examining 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 from home. After those selections have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Quakertown PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should look at when researching programs. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to make sure that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Quakertown PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs 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 select a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although 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 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Quakertown PA area medical care providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students develop relationships within the Quakertown health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance 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 provide job placement assistance in the Quakertown PA area and ask 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 healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

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 provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Quakertown PA, make certain that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Quakertown Pennsylvania?

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

Quakertown, Pennsylvania

Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the USA. As of 2016, it had a population of 8,798.[3] The borough is 16 miles (26 km) south of Allentown and Bethlehem and 29 miles (47 km) north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas. It is considered part of the United States Census Bureau's Philadelphia−Camden−Wilmington (PA−NJ−DE-MD) MSA and the Delaware Valley. Quakertown is surrounded by Richland Township.

On September 18, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, a convoy of wagons carrying the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown, under the command of Col. Thomas Polk of Charlotte, North Carolina, stopped in Quakertown. The Liberty Bell was stored overnight behind the home of Evan Foulke (1237 West Broad Street), and the entourage stayed at the Red Lion Inn. The John Fries' Rebellion was also started in the Red Lion Inn in 1799.

The American Civil War along with national economic expansion changed Quakertown from a tiny village to a commercial manufacturing center. In the nineteenth century, local industrial establishments included cigar and cigar box factories, silk mills, harness factories, and stove foundries. Until 1969, Quakertown generated its own electrical power. The population of Quakertown in 1900 was 3,014; it rose to 3,801 in 1910. By 1940, the population had reached 5,150 people. At the 2010 census, the borough's population was 8,979.

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Quakertown PA

Quakertown 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 appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to 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 selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Scope Of Practice. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Quakertown PA.