How Long Is Medical Assistant School Danbury CT - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Danbury Connecticut

Danbury CT medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Danbury CT, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Most prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You might choose to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have furnished several questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Danbury CT nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their function is to make sure that the Danbury CT clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Connecticut law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the choices 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 most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Danbury CT health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to 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 clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often 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 Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Danbury CT There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good option for those who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be completed in Danbury CT area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the right option for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain 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 an excellent choice for those who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Danbury CT medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Danbury CT medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some prospective students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Danbury CT with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must explore when researching programs. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many good reasons to confirm that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Danbury CT employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are looking at provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Danbury CT area medical providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Danbury healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Landing that very first job may be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Danbury CT area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before enrolling in a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the college you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Danbury CT, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Danbury Connecticut?

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

Danbury, Connecticut

Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately 50 miles (80 km) northeast of New York City making it part of the New York metropolitan area. Danbury's population at the 2010 census was 80,893.[3] Danbury is the fourth most populous city in Fairfield County, and seventh among Connecticut cities. The city is within the New York combined statistical area and Bridgeport metropolitan area.

The city is named for Danbury in Essex, England.[4] It is nicknamed the Hat City because for a period in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it was the center of the American hat industry. The mineral danburite is named for Danbury.

Danbury was settled by colonists in 1685, when eight families moved from what are now Norwalk and Stamford, Connecticut. The Danbury area was then called Pahquioque by its namesake, the Algonquian-speaking Pahquioque Native Americans (they are believed to have been a band of the Paugusset people), who occupied lands along the Still River. Bands were often identified by such geographic designation but they were associated with the larger nation by culture and language).

Select the Right Medical Assistant College Danbury CT

Danbury CT medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the right 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 life long career, you need to acquire the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are so many schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, 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 How Long Is Medical Assistant School. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Danbury CT.