Medical Assistant Classes Boston MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training Program near Boston Massachusetts

Boston MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Boston MA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Most prospective students begin by checking out 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 also. You may choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included several questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Boston MA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is ensure that the Boston MA hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but may also be found working 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
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Massachusetts law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options offered 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

Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Boston MA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Boston MA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent choice for students who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Boston MA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the right choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for individuals who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Boston MA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of 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, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Boston MA medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Boston MA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must look at when assessing programs. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many great reasons to verify that the college you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Boston MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to choose a program focused on that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Boston MA area healthcare providers. They are a great means to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Boston health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Getting that initial job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Boston MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a college to observe what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the program you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Boston MA, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Boston Massachusetts?

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

Boston

Boston is the capital and most populous municipality[8] of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city proper covers 48 square miles (124 km2) with an estimated population of 685,094 in 2017,[3] making it also the most populous city in the New England region.[2] Boston is the seat of Suffolk County as well, although the county government was disbanded on July 1, 1999.[9] The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 4.8 million people in 2016 and ranking as the tenth-largest such area in the country.[10] As a combined statistical area (CSA), this wider commuting region is home to some 8.2 million people, making it the sixth-largest in the United States.[11]

Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States, founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England.[12][13] It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution, such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston. Upon gaining U.S. independence from Great Britain, it continued to be an important port and manufacturing hub as well as a center for education and culture.[14][15] The city has expanded beyond the original peninsula through land reclamation and municipal annexation. Its rich history attracts many tourists, with Faneuil Hall alone drawing more than 20 million visitors per year.[16] Boston's many firsts include the United States' first public park (Boston Common, 1634), first public or state school (Boston Latin School, 1635)[17] and first subway system (Tremont Street Subway, 1897).[18]

The Boston area's many colleges and universities make it an international center of higher education,[19] including law, medicine, engineering, and business, and the city is considered to be a world leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, with nearly 2,000 startups.[20][21][22] Boston's economic base also includes finance,[23] professional and business services, biotechnology, information technology, and government activities.[24] Households in the city claim the highest average rate of philanthropy in the United States;[25] businesses and institutions rank among the top in the country for environmental sustainability and investment.[26] The city has one of the highest costs of living in the United States[27][28] as it has undergone gentrification,[29] though it remains high on world livability rankings.[30]

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant College Boston MA

Boston MA medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to obtain the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Classes. But irrespective 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 picking the best program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Boston MA.