Clinical Medical Assistant Training Holyoke MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Holyoke Massachusetts

Holyoke MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Holyoke MA, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? A number of future students begin by evaluating 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, job assistance and internship programs are important issues also. You may choose to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have included a few questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Holyoke MA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Holyoke MA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work run successfully. Depending 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 tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Massachusetts law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and obtain 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 Training

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Holyoke MA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually 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 attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Holyoke MA There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good alternative for individuals who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be carried out in Holyoke MA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the best option for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing a job after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Holyoke MA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Holyoke MA medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you must choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Holyoke MA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must look at when assessing schools. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the programs 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 school you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Holyoke MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to select a program focused 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 methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to obtaining 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, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about two years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are looking at provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Holyoke MA area health care providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Holyoke healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Getting that first job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Holyoke MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller 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 convenient, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a school to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

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

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Holyoke Massachusetts?

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

Holyoke, Massachusetts

Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 39,880.[13] As of 2017, the estimated population was 40,341.[10] Sitting 8 miles (13 km) north of Springfield, Holyoke is part of the Springfield Metropolitan Area, one of the two distinct metropolitan areas in Massachusetts.

Holyoke is among the first planned industrial cities in the United States; built in tandem with the Holyoke Dam to utilize the water power of Hadley Falls, it is among the only cities in New England built around a gridded road plan.[14] During the late 19th century the city produced an estimated 80% of the writing paper used in the United States and was home to the largest paper mill architectural firm in the country,[15] as well as the largest paper, silk, and alpaca wool mills in the world.[16][17] Although a considerably smaller number of businesses in Holyoke work in the paper industry today,[18][19] it is still commonly referred to as "The Paper City".[1][2] Today the city contains a number of specialty manufacturing companies,[20] as well as the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center, an intercollegiate research facility which opened in 2012.[21] Holyoke is also home to the Volleyball Hall of Fame and known as the "Birthplace of Volleyball", as the internationally played Olympic sport was invented and first played at the local YMCA chapter by William G. Morgan in 1895.[3][4]

While working for the Holyoke Water Power Company in the 1880s, hydraulic engineer Clemens Herschel invented the Venturi meter to determine the water use of individual mills in the Holyoke Canal System. This device, the first accurate means of measuring large-scale flows, is widely used in a number of engineering applications today, including waterworks and carburators, as well as aviation instrumentation.[22][23] Powered by these municipally owned canals, Holyoke has among the lowest energy rates in the Commonwealth,[24] and as of 2016 between 85% and 90% of the city's energy was carbon neutral, with administrative goals in place to reach 100% in the immediate future.[25][26]

Choose the Right Medical Assistant College Holyoke MA

Holyoke MA medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Whether 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 appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools offering 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 certain that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Clinical Medical Assistant Training. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure 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 ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Holyoke MA.