Medical Assistant School Requirements New Milford CT - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near New Milford Connecticut

New Milford CT medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near New Milford CT, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many potential students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You may decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, 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 role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with New Milford CT nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their function is ensure that the New Milford CT clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work run efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices 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:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Connecticut law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the choices available 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 Programs

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of New Milford CT health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about a year to complete, some 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 option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical 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 Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in New Milford CT There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced also. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be carried out in New Milford CT area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the right option for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential New Milford CT medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of 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 sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask New Milford CT medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to New Milford CT with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to confirm that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective New Milford 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 create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with New Milford CT area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the New Milford medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Finding that initial job may be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the New Milford CT area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before choosing a college to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the college you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near New Milford CT, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will also need to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near New Milford Connecticut?

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

New Milford, Connecticut

New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, located in Western Connecticut. The town is located 14 miles (23 km) north of Danbury, on the banks of the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly 62 square miles (161 km2). The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates.[6] Male residents are commonly referred to as "woodchucks." The town center is also listed as a census-designated place (CDP). The northern portion of the town is situated in the region considered Northwestern CT and the far eastern portions are part of the Litchfield Hills region.

New Milford is home to the Canterbury School, a well-known Roman Catholic boarding school. The school's Chapel of Our Lady features the Jose M. Ferrer Memorial Carillon. The house that inspired the 1946 novel and 1948 film, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, still stands in the Merryall section of town.

Weantinock were a sub-group of the Paugussett Nation who lived the area of modern New Milford both before and during the colonial era. They were a farming and fishing culture, cultivating corn, squash, beans and tobacco, and fishing in freshwater areas. They may have also travelled to the coast to fish in summer months.[7]

Select the Best Medical Assistant School New Milford CT

New Milford CT medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as 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 Medical Assistant School Requirements. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in New Milford CT.