Medical Assistant Bachelor Degree Oxford MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Program near Oxford Massachusetts

Oxford MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Oxford MA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You may decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Oxford MA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Oxford MA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare 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 practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance 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 duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Massachusetts law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices 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 Education

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Oxford MA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two options available for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about a year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Oxford MA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent option for students who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened also. But remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Oxford MA 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 might be the ideal option for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for individuals who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some possible Oxford MA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Oxford MA medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you must determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Oxford MA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many great reasons to verify that the school you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Oxford MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to enroll in a program focused on 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 means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, verify that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

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

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Finding that very first job may 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 offer job placement assistance in the Oxford 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 suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a few classes before selecting a program to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the school you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Oxford MA, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Oxford Massachusetts?

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

Master of Arts (Oxbridge and Dublin)

In the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts with Honours of these universities are promoted to the title of Master of Arts or Master in Arts (MA) on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university (including years as an undergraduate). As such, it is an academic rank, and not a postgraduate qualification. No further examination or study is required for this promotion.[1][2][3]

This practice differs from most other universities worldwide, at which the degree reflects further postgraduate study or achievement. These degrees are therefore sometimes referred to as the Oxford and Cambridge MA and the Dublin or Trinity MA, to draw attention to the difference.[4] However, as with gaining a postgraduate degree from another university, once incepted and promoted to a Master, the graduate no longer wears the academic dress or uses the post-nominal letters pertaining to a Bachelor of Arts, being no longer of that rank: i.e. the Master of Arts degree is not awarded separately (for instance, in addition to that of Bachelor of Arts), but rather the new rank is treated as a conversion of one degree to another.

All three universities have other masters' (i.e. postgraduate) degrees that require further study and examination, but these have other titles, such as Master of Letters (M.Litt.), Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), Master of Studies (M.St.), Master of Engineering (M.A.I., or MEng), and Master of Science (M.Sc.).

Choose the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Oxford MA

Oxford MA medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Bachelor Degree. 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 supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Oxford MA.