How Long Is Medical Assistant Training Southport CT - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training School near Southport Connecticut

Southport CT medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Southport CT, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Many potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You may decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have included a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Southport CT nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Southport CT clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work operate efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Connecticut law, some prefer to specialize in a specific 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 Training

In contrast to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Southport CT health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Southport CT There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good option for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened as well. But keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be completed in Southport CT area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the right option for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for graduates who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Southport CT medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Southport CT medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Southport CT with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must look at when researching programs. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to verify that the college you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Southport CT employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Southport CT area medical providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Southport medical community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Finding that initial job may be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Southport CT area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a large network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a program to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Southport CT, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Southport Connecticut?

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

Southport, Connecticut

Southport is a former borough in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut, and also a census-designated place. It is located along Long Island Sound between Mill River and Sasco Brook, where it borders Westport. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,585.[1] Settled in 1639, Southport center has been designated a local historic district since 1967, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 as the Southport Historic District.

The earliest recorded event in Southport's history was "The Great Swamp Fight" or "Fairfield Swamp Fight" of July 1637 (not to be confused with the later Great Swamp Fight of King Philip's War), an episode of the Pequot War in which English colonial forces led by John Mason and Roger Ludlow vanquished a band of about 80 to 100 Pequot Indians who had earlier fled from their home territory in the Mystic area and had taken refuge with about 200 Sasqua Indians who inhabited the area that is now Fairfield. The exact location of the battle is not known, but it is known to have been in the vicinity of Southport.[2]

In the eighteenth century, Mill River village, a part of Fairfield, was a small hamlet of a few houses and a wharf at the mouth of Fairfield's Mill River. Farm products from the surrounding area were shipped from Mill River's small harbor to ports in New York and beyond.[3]

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant School Southport CT

Southport CT medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long Is Medical Assistant Training. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Southport CT.