Medical Assistant Certification Quaker Hill CT - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Quaker Hill Connecticut

Quaker Hill CT medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Quaker Hill CT, it’s time to select a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently pick the right one? Most future students start 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, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You may want to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you should ask all 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 available.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Quaker Hill CT nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Quaker Hill CT clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

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

Although medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Connecticut law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and earn 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 Programs

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Quaker Hill CT health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Quaker Hill CT There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent option for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized also. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Quaker Hill CT area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the ideal option for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential Quaker Hill CT medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Quaker Hill CT medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some potential students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Quaker Hill CT with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must examine when researching schools. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to make certain that the program you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Quaker Hill CT employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Quaker Hill CT area medical care providers. They are a great way to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Quaker Hill medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Provided? Getting that initial job may be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Quaker Hill CT area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Quaker Hill CT, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also need to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Quaker Hill Connecticut?

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

Quaker Hill, Connecticut

It is located in the northeast corner of the town, on the west bank of the Thames River (around Smith Cove) north of New London,[1][2] and centered on the intersection of the Old Norwich Road and the Old Colchester Road.

The village center is included in the Quaker Hill Historic District, a historic district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic district is the area around Old Norwich Road, extending as far south as the village of Thames View and as far north as Route 32.

Quaker Hill is the place name used for ZIP code 06375, which extends beyond Quaker Hill to encompass the entire northeastern portion of the town of Waterford, including Bartlett, Best View, Cohanzie, Harrisons and Thames View.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant School Quaker Hill CT

Quaker Hill CT medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to obtain the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Certification. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision 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 ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Quaker Hill CT.