Clinical Medical Assistant Valley View PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Valley View Pennsylvania

Valley View PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Valley View PA, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Many potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You might want to look into 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 need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask each 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 kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Valley View PA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Valley View PA clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may 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 medical professionals but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the options offered 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 Courses

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Valley View PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about a year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created 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 normally 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Valley View PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are an excellent choice for individuals who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Valley View PA area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the best option for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Valley View PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Valley View PA medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which type 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 begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Valley View PA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should examine when assessing schools. To help you with that task, 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 College Accredited? There are many great reasons to confirm that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education 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 approved 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 agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Valley View PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Valley View PA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Valley View medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Finding that first job may be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Valley View PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the program you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Valley View PA, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Valley View Pennsylvania?

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

Valley View, Pennsylvania

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Program Valley View PA

Valley View PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Clinical Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind 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 right program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Valley View PA.