Certified Medical Assistant Career Swansea MA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Swansea Massachusetts

Swansea MA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Swansea MA, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? A number of future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues also. You might decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have provided 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 responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Swansea MA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their function is ensure that the Swansea MA clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

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

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Swansea MA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two choices offered for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about one year to complete, 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 alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. 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 four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Swansea MA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent option for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be carried out in Swansea MA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the ideal choice for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Swansea MA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. 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 apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Swansea MA medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Swansea MA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should explore when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the college you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your school is not accredited by either of these organizations, 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 mentioned previously, many prospective Swansea MA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Swansea MA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students build relationships within the Swansea medical community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Getting that first job may be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Swansea MA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the program you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Swansea MA, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that will be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Swansea Massachusetts?

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

Swansea, Massachusetts

Swansea is a town in Bristol County in southeastern Massachusetts. It is located at the mouth of the Taunton River, just west of Fall River, 47 miles (76 km) south of Boston, and 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 15,865 at the 2010 census.[1]

Swansea was named for the Welsh city of Swansea, which had been the hometown of some original settlers. John Miles, the founder of the first Baptist Church in Wales, moved to Swansea in 1662/3.[2] William Brenton had purchased the land from Native Americans.[citation needed] Parts of its territory were originally part of Rehoboth, Massachusetts.[3]

In 1667 the first Baptist church in Massachusetts relocated to Swansea from Rehoboth after experiencing religious intolerance there, and Swansea was incorporated as an independent town.[3] Initially, the town established a committee to assign rank of 1, 2, or 3 to the residents with the first getting 3 acres of land, the second 2, and the third 1. The committee could promote and demote residents as it saw fit. The system collapsed in 1681 when the committee voted to make five residents the highest rank and to make the rank hereditary. The town unanimously voted to abolish the system.[4]

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Training Swansea MA

Swansea MA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long 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 personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Career. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Swansea MA.