Accredited Medical Assistant Programs Whitehall PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training School near Whitehall Pennsylvania

Whitehall PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Whitehall PA, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the right one? Many future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate 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 as well. You may decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that process, 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 talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

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

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

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some elect 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) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Courses

Unlike most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Whitehall 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 basically 2 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as technical 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 often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Whitehall PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent choice for students who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced also. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be completed in Whitehall PA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the ideal choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for those who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. Many possible Whitehall PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Whitehall PA medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Whitehall PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should examine when researching programs. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the school 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 need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Whitehall PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing 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 concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in 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 closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, verify that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Whitehall PA area health care providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Whitehall medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Getting that very first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Whitehall PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Whitehall PA, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Whitehall Pennsylvania?

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

Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

Whitehall Township is a first class township with home rule status in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.

The Province of Pennsylvania was created in 1681 when King Charles II granted a tract of land in the New World to William Penn. After the death of William Penn, his sons, John, Thomas and Richard, became the owners of Pennsylvania. The Delaware Indians deeded that part of Lehigh County lying between the Lehigh (South) Mountain and the Blue Mountains to Penn’s sons in 1736.

A wave of immigrants from Germany’s Palatinate settled in Whitehall Township, the first being Jacob Kohler, who settled in the vicinity of Egypt about 1728. The settlers staked their claim on the lands by applying to the Penn's for a land warrant. They cleared the land for farming and established churches around which villages grew.

Pick the Best Medical Assistant Program Whitehall PA

Whitehall PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, such as 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 Accredited Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Whitehall PA.