Medical Assistant Classes Online Stonington CT - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training Program near Stonington Connecticut

Stonington CT medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Stonington CT, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Most future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You may want to research several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that process, we have included some 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 responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Stonington CT nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their job is ensure that the Stonington CT hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Connecticut law, some elect 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) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Stonington 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 generally 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to finish, 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 alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Stonington CT There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good alternative 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 working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Stonington CT area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the best option for you. Between the online lessons 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 an excellent idea for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some potential Stonington CT medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Stonington CT medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you must decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Stonington CT with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must examine when assessing programs. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several great reasons to verify that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must 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 either of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Stonington CT employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 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 elect to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Stonington CT area health care providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Stonington medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Finding that first job can be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Stonington CT area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much individual 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 teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a school 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 program while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the college you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Stonington 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 still need to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Stonington Connecticut?

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

Stonington, Connecticut

The town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Lords Point, and Wequetequock, and the eastern halves of the villages of Mystic and Old Mystic (the other halves being in the town of Groton). The population of the town was 18,545 at the 2010 census.[1]

The first European colonists established a trading house in the Pawcatuck section of town in 1649. The present territory of Stonington was part of lands that had belonged to the Pequot people, who referred to the areas making up Stonington as Pawcatuck (Stony Brook to the Pawcatuck River) and Mistack (Mystic River to Stony Brook). It was named "Souther Towne" or Southerton by Massachusetts in 1658, and officially became part of Connecticut in 1662 when Connecticut received its royal charter. Southerton was renamed "Mistick" in 1665,[2]:26 and finally named Stonington in 1666,[2]:36 meaning "stony town".[3]Thomas Miner, Walter Palmer, William Chesebrough, and Thomas Stanton were the founders. The town of North Stonington was set off as a parish from Stonington in 1724 and incorporated as a town in 1807.

Stonington first gained wealth in the 1790s when its harbor was home to a fleet engaged in the profitable seal hunting trade in which seals were hunted on islands off the Chilean and Patagonian coasts, and their skins were sold as fur in China.[4]

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Program Stonington CT

Stonington 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. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Classes Online. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend 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 selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Stonington CT.