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How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Ivoryton Connecticut

Ivoryton CT medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Ivoryton CT, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? A number of future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You may choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative 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 important qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included a few questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Ivoryton CT nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is ensure that the Ivoryton CT hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving general support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Connecticut law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Ivoryton CT health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a practical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Ivoryton CT There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent option for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced also. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Ivoryton CT area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the right option for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for those who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Ivoryton CT medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Ivoryton CT medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Ivoryton CT with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to look at when assessing schools. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to confirm 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 intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Ivoryton CT 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 schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, 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 example, then obviously you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining 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 closer to one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Ivoryton CT area healthcare providers. They are a great method to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the Ivoryton medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Landing that very first job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Ivoryton CT area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the program you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Ivoryton CT, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Ivoryton Connecticut?

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

Frog Bridge

The Frog Bridge (Officially the Thread City Crossing) is a bridge located in Willimantic, Connecticut which carries South Street (CT 661) across the Willimantic River. It is known as the Frog Bridge because it has 4 copper frogs located on each end of the bridge, sitting on top of concrete thread spools. They were designed and created by artist Leo Jensen of Ivoryton CT[1][2][3]

It is designed and named this way because of a story called "The Battle of the Frogs" which in 1754, a large-scale death of frogs in a pond called Frog Pond, about a mile east of Windham Center. In turn of the widespread deaths of frogs, many people thought it was the French and Indians coming to the town and killing residents of the small town.[4][5][6][7]

The bridge was built to replace an 1857 stone arch bridge located in the middle of the mill complex. The original bridge was planned to be replaced as early as 1872. Another effort to replace the old bridge was made at the turn of the 20th century, but ended up with a compromise resulting in the Willimantic Footbridge. The bridge was closed shortly after the opening of the Frog Bridge, remaining closed until October 2006 when it reopened as the Windham Garden on the Bridge, a pedestrian bridge.[8]

Choose the Right Medical Assistant Training Ivoryton CT

Ivoryton CT medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Registered Medical Assistant Certification. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan 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 compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Ivoryton CT.