Evening Medical Assistant Programs Strasburg PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Strasburg Pennsylvania

Strasburg PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Strasburg PA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Strasburg PA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their role is to make sure that the Strasburg 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 an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

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

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices offered 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 Courses

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Strasburg PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 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 attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts 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 commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Strasburg PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good alternative for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened also. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be performed in Strasburg PA area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your education may be the best choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some possible Strasburg PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Strasburg PA medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you must decide which type of credential you would like 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 procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Strasburg PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must explore when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to verify that the school you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Strasburg PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously 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. This is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and get 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 choose to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Strasburg PA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Strasburg healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Getting that first job can be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Strasburg PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before enrolling in a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the program you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Strasburg PA, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Strasburg Pennsylvania?

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

Strasburg, Pennsylvania

Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It developed as a linear village along the Great Conestoga Road, stretching about two miles along path later known as the Strasburg Road.[4] The population was 2,800 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Strasbourg in Alsace, the native home of an early settler.[5] The town is often called "Train Town USA" because of the many railroad attractions in and around town, including the Strasburg Rail Road and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Much of the movie Witness was filmed on a farm nearby. Much of the borough was listed as a historic district by the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The Old Conestoga Road was in use by 1714, and by 1750 a tavern and some log houses were built near the current site of Strasburg. Strasburg grew as the trade over the road with Philadelphia grew. By 1759, there were 32 taxable properties in the town, including about ten hotels. Many early settlers were Huguenots or Swiss or German Mennonites and several church congregations of various faiths formed during the 1760s. The first church was built in 1807 by Methodists.[6]

The Old Conestoga Road was the main path connecting Philadelphia to the west, but in 1792 the new Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike was built, bypassing Strasburg four miles to the north. However, in 1793 construction on the new Strasburg Road started, roughly following the old road, passing through West Chester on the way to Philadelphia. It attracted traffic because it was not a toll-road, unlike the Philadelphia Turnpike. This road later developed into PA 741.[4]

Select the Right Medical Assistant School Strasburg PA

Strasburg PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example 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 Evening Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Strasburg PA.