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How to Pick a Medical Assistant Program near Taftville Connecticut

Taftville CT medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Taftville CT, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? Many future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost 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 several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided several questions that you should ask all 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 type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Taftville CT nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their job is to make sure that the Taftville CT clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Connecticut law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices 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 Training

In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Taftville CT health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about 1 year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a practical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Taftville CT There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good alternative for individuals who might not have 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 working full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Taftville CT area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the right choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining a position after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Taftville CT medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Taftville CT medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Taftville CT with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must 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 thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many great reasons to make sure that the school you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must 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 qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Taftville CT employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Taftville CT area health care providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Taftville healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Finding that very first job can be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Taftville CT area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the college you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Taftville CT, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might 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 emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Taftville Connecticut?

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

Taftville, Connecticut

Taftville is a small village in eastern Connecticut. It is a neighborhood of Norwich but has its own post office (ZIP Code 06380). It was established in 1866 as site for the large Taftville Mill, later Ponemah Mill. The village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Taftville and as alternative name Taftville/Ponemah Mill National Register Historic District.

Currently redevelopment of the large mill is being conducted by The O'Neill Group in conjunction with OneKey LLC. The National Park Service will oversee the historic preservation of the structure, to ensure the historic elements are sustained. The 430,000-square-foot (40,000 m2) Ponemah Mill is being converted into luxury apartments and commercial space.[2]

The Ponemah Mills, a cotton textile factory, was built on the Shetucket River where a large dam could be built to provide power. The large mill building (Building No. 1) was purported to be the largest weave-shed under one roof at that time. The original workers were predominantly Irish immigrants, and they were hard hit by the depression of the 1870s that began with the Panic of 1873. Unemployment rose and wages dropped appreciably from 1873 to 1875, causing bitter relations between workers and management in many places.[3]

Select the Right Medical Assistant Course Taftville CT

Taftville CT medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal 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 right info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Becoming A Medical Assistant. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can ultimately start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Taftville CT.