Medical Assistant Community College Auburn NH - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Program near Auburn New Hampshire

Auburn NH medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Auburn NH, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Most prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes 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 as well. You may want to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have provided several questions that you need to ask each of the schools 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 Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Auburn NH nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their job is to make sure that the Auburn NH clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are qualified to under New Hampshire 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

In contrast to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Auburn NH health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed 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 offered at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are often 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 Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Auburn NH There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent option for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Auburn NH area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your education might be the ideal choice for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for those who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Auburn NH medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Auburn NH medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Auburn NH with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to examine when researching schools. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the program you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Auburn NH 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 colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program focused on 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 methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are looking at provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Auburn NH area health care providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the Auburn health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Landing that very first job can be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Auburn NH area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the program you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Auburn NH, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also have to schedule any internships or clinical training that may 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 Auburn New Hampshire?

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

Auburn, New Hampshire

Auburn was originally settled by Native Americans in 1624. It was a fishing settlement called by Native Americans "Massabesic" (the current name of the town's largest lake). British settlers arrived in the area in 1720 and made peace with the Native Americans until the French and Indian War. The Massabesic settlement was destroyed, and the nearby town of Chester claimed the land. It was known as Chester Woods, Chester West Parish, Long Meadow,[3] and then Auburn. Auburn became an independent town on June 25, 1845,[3] with a population of 1,200 people. As with Auburn, Maine, Auburn, Massachusetts and Auburn, New York, the name is from Oliver Goldsmith's popular 18th-century poem, "The Deserted Village", which begins:

Auburn was served by the Concord and Portsmouth Railroad, which later became the Portsmouth Branch of the Boston & Maine Railroad.[3] Auburn was home to a small passenger depot at one time, but by the mid 1900s most rail activity was through traffic as Auburn had few on-line industries. The last freight trains passed through in the early 1980s. The track was abandoned in 1982 and subsequently torn up between 1983 and 1985.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.7 square miles (74.3 km2), of which 25.2 sq mi (65.3 km2) is land and 3.5 sq mi (9.1 km2), or 12.20%, is water.[1]Massabesic Lake, located in the western part of Auburn and the eastern part of Manchester, is the largest body of water in Auburn and serves as the city water supply for Manchester. The lake is fed by numerous tributaries, most notable being Sucker Brook, which enters the northeast end of the lake near the Auburn town center and itself drains several lakes, including Tower Hill Pond, Clark Pond, and Little Massabesic Lake. Cohas Brook flows through the eastern portion of Auburn and eventually (in Manchester) receives the outflow of Massabesic Lake before flowing west to the Merrimack River. Auburn lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed.[4] Three hills, all overlooking Massabesic Lake, can lay potential claim to being Auburn's highest point: Mount Miner, at 582 feet (177 m) above sea level, located north of the lake; Mine Hill, greater than 580 ft (180 m), above the east shore; and Mount Misery, greater than 580 feet, to the southeast.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Program Auburn NH

Auburn NH medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate 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 lifetime career, you must obtain the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on 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, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Community College. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Auburn NH.