Top Accredited Medical Assistant Training New Fairfield CT 06812 Archives

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training School near New Fairfield Connecticut

New Fairfield CT medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near New Fairfield CT, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Most prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with New Fairfield CT nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their duty is ensure that the New Fairfield CT hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying 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 exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may 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 options 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 medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many New Fairfield CT health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about a year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to 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 training. They frequently have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. 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.

Medical Assistant Online Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in New Fairfield CT There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good alternative for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some 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 as well. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in New Fairfield CT area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. Many possible New Fairfield CT medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask New Fairfield CT medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to New Fairfield CT with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to explore when evaluating programs. 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 choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several great reasons to verify that the school you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective New Fairfield CT employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with New Fairfield CT area medical providers. They are a great means to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the New Fairfield health care community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Finding that very first job can be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the New Fairfield CT area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a college to witness what the teaching environment is like and 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 important that the program you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near New Fairfield CT, make sure that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still have to schedule all internships or practical training that might be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near New Fairfield Connecticut?

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

New Fairfield, Connecticut

New Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,881 at the 2010 census.[1] New Fairfield is one of five towns that surround Candlewood Lake, the largest lake in Connecticut.

In 1724, colonial settlers from Fairfield, Connecticut received approval from the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut to establish a new township. According to one account, they negotiated with Chief Squantz of the Schaghticoke tribe of Algonquian lineage. Alternatively, it is told that they did not negotiate with Chief Squantz because he moved to the north end of Squantz Pond land area and refused to "sell" the township of New Fairfield. They returned in the Spring of 1725, but found that Chief Squantz had died during the winter. His four sons and heirs refused to sign the deeds. It was not until four years later that the white men called "The Proprietors" finally got the drawn marks of several other native people who may not have had authority to sell the land.[3] They "purchased" a 31,000 acre tract of land that is now New Fairfield and Sherman, for the equivalent of about 300 dollars and on April 24, 1729, The deed was recorded on May 9, 1729, and is now deposited in the archives of the state capital in Hartford, Connecticut.

In 1926, Connecticut Light and Power (CL&P) began construction on Candlewood Lake, considered by many to be an engineering wonder. CL&P flooded the valley to control the water flow from the Housatonic and Rocky Rivers and produce hydroelectric power for the region. Candlewood Lake was named for the Native American practice of using stripped wood from pine trees as kindling for fire. The lake shares its shores with the towns of New Fairfield, Sherman, New Milford, Brookfield, and Danbury. [4]

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Program New Fairfield CT

New Fairfield CT medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Technical School. But regardless 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 in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in New Fairfield CT.