Medical Assistant Training Ludlow MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Ludlow Massachusetts

Ludlow MA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Ludlow MA, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the right one? Most potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest 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 important issues also. You may choose to research several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have included several questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start 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 Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Ludlow MA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their function is to make sure that the Ludlow MA clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities 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 support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving general support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Massachusetts law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and earn 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 Courses

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Ludlow MA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about one year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Ludlow MA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be minimized also. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in Ludlow MA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the ideal option for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Ludlow MA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. 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 take the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Ludlow MA medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Ludlow MA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to examine when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved organizations 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 agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Ludlow MA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program targeting 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 methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Ludlow MA area healthcare providers. They are a great means to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Ludlow healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Finding that very first job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Ludlow MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a program to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s essential that the program you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Ludlow MA, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Ludlow Massachusetts?

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

Ludlow, Massachusetts

Ludlow is a New England town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,103 as of the 2010 census, and it is considered part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located just northeast of Springfield across the Chicopee River, it is one of the city's suburbs. It has a sizable and visible Portuguese community. [note 1]

Although plans were drawn up for settlement as early as 1685, within the original boundaries of Springfield, Massachusetts, was settled in 1751 as Stony Hill Parish.[1] However, the town was later renamed Ludlow and incorporated as a separate entity in 1774, just before the breakout of the American Revolution.[2] For much of its early history the town was agrarian and today many of Ludlow's street names are derived from the names of these farming families (e.g. Chapin Street, Miller Street, Alden Street, Fuller Street). Ludlow was home to many sawmills and gristmills, utilizing the power from several sources of water nearby, the Chicopee River, Broad Brook, Higher Brook, and Stony Brook. Before the Civil War, the town began to develop into a mill town. This included the manufacturing of glass bottles by the many glassware companies, including John Sikes.[3] The District was renamed from Stony Hill to Ludlow for reasons unknown to this day. Then Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, Thomas Hutchinson renamed the town from the District of Stony Hill to Ludlow. The town of Ludlow was possibly named after Roger Ludlow, one of the founders of the Connecticut Colony or named after Ludlow, a town in England.

In 1868, the largest mill was opened and operated by the Ludlow Company (The Ludlow Clock Tower is depicted on the town seal), who produced jute yarns, twine, and webbing. This company helped shape the town by providing housing, a library, schools, playgrounds, and even a clubhouse for the increasingly diverse community.[2][4] In the 20th century, this company moved to India and is now known as Ludlow Jute and Specialties of Mumbai.[5]

Choose the Right Medical Assistant College Ludlow MA

Ludlow MA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Ludlow MA.