Medical Assistant Student Berwyn PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School near Berwyn Pennsylvania

Berwyn PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Berwyn PA, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? Most future students start by researching 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 very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues also. You may decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have provided some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Berwyn PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their job is to make sure that the Berwyn PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some opt 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Berwyn PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a practical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Berwyn PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good option for students who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened also. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be performed in Berwyn PA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your training may be the right option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for individuals who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Berwyn PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Berwyn PA medical assistant programs Prior to 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. As soon as those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Berwyn PA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should examine when assessing schools. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many great reasons to make sure that the school you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education 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 acknowledged 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Berwyn PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about two years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Berwyn PA area medical providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Berwyn healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Finding that initial job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Berwyn PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much individual attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s important that the college you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Berwyn PA, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Berwyn Pennsylvania?

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

Berwyn, Pennsylvania

At times, the village has been called Cocheltown, Reeseville, Glassley and Gaysville. The town received its present name in 1877 during the celebration of its centennial when one of the Welsh settlers proposed to name the village after the Berwyn Hills overlooking the Valley of the Dee River in Denbighshire, Wales.

Berwyn is located at 40°2′44″N 75°26′22″W / 40.04556°N 75.43944°W / 40.04556; -75.43944.[2] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.8 km2), all of it land.[3]

Berwyn is home of the Footlighters' Theater, a non-profit theater that has provided entertainment for over 80 years. Footlighters' Theater is the oldest community theater on the Philadelphia Main Line.[4]

Select the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Berwyn PA

Berwyn PA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Student. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend 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 selecting the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Berwyn PA.