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

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Stroudsburg Pennsylvania

Stroudsburg PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Stroudsburg PA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Most prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You may decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided 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 role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Stroudsburg PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is ensure that the Stroudsburg PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer 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) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

In contrast to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Stroudsburg PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to complete, some 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 obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a practical element requiring 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.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Stroudsburg PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent option for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be performed in Stroudsburg PA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the best option for you. With 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 previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for those who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Stroudsburg PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. 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 be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Stroudsburg PA medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. Once those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Stroudsburg 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 examine when researching schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many good reasons to make sure that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged agencies 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 qualified 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 mentioned previously, many prospective Stroudsburg PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about 2 years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Stroudsburg PA area health care providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Stroudsburg health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Getting that first job may be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Stroudsburg PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a program to witness 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 school while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the program you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Stroudsburg PA, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, find out 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 Stroudsburg Pennsylvania?

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

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Stroudsburg is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the state's Poconos region, approximately five miles (8 km) from the Delaware Water Gap, at the confluence of the Brodhead, McMichaels and Pocono Creeks. It is in northeastern Pennsylvania. It is also the county seat of Monroe County. Stroudsburg is part of the East Stroudsburg, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the New York combined statistical area.

Currently Stroudsburg has an estimated population of about 6,674 people, an estimate from 2010. In 1900, 3,450 people inhabited Stroudsburg; in 1910, 4,379; in 1940, 6,186; in 2000, 5,756; and in 2008, 6,294 people were living here. The immediate greater Stroudsburg area, including Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg, Stroud Township, Hamilton Township, and Arlington Heights, has a population of about 50,000.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2).1.8 square miles (4.6 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (1.67%) is water.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Stroudsburg PA

Stroudsburg PA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering 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 certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. 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, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Stroudsburg PA.