Registered Medical Assistant Exam Newbury MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training School near Newbury Massachusetts

Newbury MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Newbury MA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the right one? Many prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences 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 important issues also. You might want to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have included several questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Newbury MA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their function is ensure that the Newbury MA hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work run successfully. 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 assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

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

While medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Massachusetts law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the options 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

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Newbury MA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical component involving 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Newbury MA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good option for students who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized as well. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Newbury MA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your training may be the ideal option for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for individuals who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting employment after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Newbury MA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Newbury MA medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Newbury MA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the college you choose 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 must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Newbury MA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, verify that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Newbury MA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Newbury health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Finding that first job may be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Newbury MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Small 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 attend a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to see 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 school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the college you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Newbury MA, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will also need to schedule all internships or practical training that might be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Newbury Massachusetts?

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

West Newbury, Massachusetts

West Newbury was first settled in 1635 as part of neighboring Newbury. On February 18, 1819, the General Court of Massachusetts passed an act "to incorporate the town of Parsons."[2] The initial proposals had been made in the late 18th century, but determined resistance from the town of Newbury, which had already lost Newburyport, blocked the measure for decades. On June 14, 1820, the legislature passed another act to change the name to West Newbury.

Over the last forty or so years, West Newbury has evolved from a rural farming town into an affluent community.[citation needed] West Newbury's status as an affluent community can be attributed to its location in Essex County. In 2006, Essex County received the dubious honor of being named number one on Forbes magazine's list of most overpriced places to live in the U.S. The magazine cited high living costs and expensive real estate as the major reasons Essex County was picked over cities with higher mean real estate values.

The town's oldest continually-operating farm is Long Hill Orchard[3]. The farm has been active since 1896, and has a long and intriguing history. Today, in addition to the apple orchard, the farm is home to a popular community-supported agriculture program and farm to table dining events.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Training Newbury MA

Newbury MA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, 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 Registered Medical Assistant Exam. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Newbury MA.