Medical Assistant Career Wexford PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School Program near Wexford Pennsylvania

Wexford PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Wexford PA, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Most prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You may choose to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Wexford PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their function is ensure that the Wexford PA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work operate successfully. 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 assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the options offered 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

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Wexford PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Wexford PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible 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 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 conventional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Wexford PA area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your education may be the right option for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for individuals who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing a job after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Wexford PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably 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 be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Wexford PA medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Wexford PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should look at when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the program you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Wexford PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out 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 evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the schools you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Wexford PA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Wexford health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Landing that initial job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Wexford PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a program to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the program you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Wexford PA, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Wexford Pennsylvania?

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

Wexford, Pennsylvania

Wexford is an unincorporated community in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The area known as Wexford is split among multiple municipalities, including Franklin Park, McCandless Township, Pine Township, and Marshall Township. It is named after County Wexford in Ireland.[2]

Home to many upper-middle-class people, Wexford's commercial landscape is dominated by a mixture of corporate chains, car dealerships, and a number of local small businesses, giving this small town much diversity. Wexford concentrated on the main thoroughfare of the "Wexford Flats", U.S. Route 19. It is also home to North Allegheny Senior High School, Pine-Richland High School, Marshall Middle School, Wexford Elementary School and Vincentian Academy.

It was ranked the twenty-eighth best place to live by Money magazine in 2005,[3] despite it being essentially a postal zip code and a general descriptor of a section of the suburban Pittsburgh metropolitan area, not a municipality of any type. The presence of North Allegheny Senior High School, a large, well funded public high school, the numerous businesses, and a number of churches along the "Wexford Flats" gives the area a more distinct community identity than simply an otherwise unremarkable suburb in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Adjacent to Wexford is North Park and North Park lake. This area is a great asset to the community featuring many hiking/biking trails, 5-mile paved running path around the lake, many pavilions for outdoor events, outdoor ice rink, golf course, dog parks, many playgrounds, a C.O.P.E. course, and local restaurants and shops. The lake underwent construction, including dredging and refinishing shore lines, between 2009 and 2012.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Program Wexford PA

Wexford PA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in health 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 selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Career. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure 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 subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Wexford PA.