Medical Assistant Training School New Canaan CT - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School near New Canaan Connecticut

New Canaan CT medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near New Canaan CT, it’s time to select a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? A number of prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors also. You may want to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you should ask each of the schools 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 training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with New Canaan 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 New Canaan CT clinics, hospitals and other healthcare 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 practices both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Connecticut law, some choose 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) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Programs

Unlike many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of New Canaan CT health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. 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 related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in New Canaan CT There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good alternative for individuals who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened as well. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be completed in New Canaan CT area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training may be the best option for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for those who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in getting a job after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential New Canaan CT medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask New Canaan CT medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to New Canaan CT with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should examine when assessing programs. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to verify that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective New Canaan CT employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with New Canaan CT area medical providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the New Canaan healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Landing that very first job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the New Canaan CT area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before selecting a college to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full time, it’s important that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near New Canaan CT, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near New Canaan Connecticut?

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

New Canaan, Connecticut

New Canaan (/ˈkeɪnən/) is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Greenwich, 36 miles (58 km) west of New Haven and 48 miles (77 kilometers) northeast of New York City. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.[1] In 2008 New Canaan had the highest median family income in the country.[2]

Considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast, New Canaan is known for its public school system,[3] its wide range of architecture from the Harvard Five modern homes to historic New England colonials and farmhouses, as well as a signature town center with premiere shopping, classic boutiques, and an elaborate display of lights for the Holidays. Residents carol on Church Hill every Christmas Eve, a town tradition since 1916.[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.5 square miles (58 km2), of which 22.1 square miles (57 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), or 1.56%, is water. New Canaan is the only municipality on the Connecticut Panhandle that does not border the coast. Such proximity to New York City proved worthy of its own connection to the New Haven Railroad, being the only town to do so. New Canaan station and Talmadge Hill station are both on the New Canaan Branch of the New Haven Line, and transfer is possible in Stamford south to Manhattan. Many New Canaan residents commute to New York regularly, with travel time to Grand Central Terminal approximately 70 minutes. New Canaan is also heavily served by the historic Merritt Parkway, as the third municipality when driving through Connecticut from New York City.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant School New Canaan CT

New Canaan CT medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training School. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in New Canaan CT.