What Is A Medical Assistant Ridgefield CT - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Program near Ridgefield Connecticut

Ridgefield CT medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Ridgefield CT, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? Many prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You may want to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have provided several questions that you should ask all 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 available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Ridgefield CT nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their duty is ensure that the Ridgefield CT clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing general support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out 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 Training Programs

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Ridgefield CT health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about a year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. 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.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Ridgefield CT There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent choice for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced as well. But remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Ridgefield 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 choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Ridgefield CT medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. 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 sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Ridgefield CT medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After 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 students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Ridgefield CT with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you need to examine when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the college you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged organizations 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Ridgefield CT employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are considering offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Ridgefield CT area medical care providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also assist students establish relationships within the Ridgefield medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Getting that initial job can be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Ridgefield CT area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher 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 employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention 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 one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the college you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Ridgefield CT, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also need to schedule all clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Ridgefield Connecticut?

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

Ridgefield, Connecticut

Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census.[1] The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place.

Ridgefield was first settled by English colonists from Norwalk and Milford in 1708, when a group of settlers purchased land from Chief Catoonah of the Ramapo tribe.[citation needed] The town was incorporated under a royal charter from the Connecticut General Assembly issued in 1709.[2] Ridgefield was descriptively named.[3] The most notable 18th-century event was the Battle of Ridgefield on April 27, 1777. This American Revolutionary War skirmish involved a small colonial militia force (state militia and some Continental Army soldiers), led by, among others, General David Wooster, who died in the engagement, and Benedict Arnold,[4] whose horse was shot from under him. They faced a larger British force that had landed at Westport and was returning from a raid on the colonial supply depot in Danbury. The battle was a tactical victory for the British but a strategic one for the Colonials because the British would never again conduct inland operations in Connecticut, despite western Connecticut's strategic importance in securing the Hudson River Valley.[5] Today, the dead from both sides are buried together in a small cemetery on Main Street on the right of the entrance to Casagmo condominiums: "...foes in arms, brothers in death...". The Keeler Tavern, a local inn and museum, features a British cannonball still lodged in the side of the building. There are many other landmarks from the Revolutionary War in the town, with most along Main Street.

In the summer of 1781, the French army under the Comte de Rochambeau marched through Connecticut, encamping in the Ridgebury section of town, where the first Catholic mass in Ridgefield was offered.[citation needed]

Pick the Best Medical Assistant College Ridgefield CT

Ridgefield CT medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in What Is A Medical Assistant. 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Ridgefield CT.