Ophthalmic Medical Assistant Croydon PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training Program near Croydon Pennsylvania

Croydon PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Croydon PA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You might decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have included several questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Croydon PA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their role is ensure that the Croydon PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some elect 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 Education

In contrast to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Croydon PA 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 choices offered for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to trade 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 often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Croydon PA There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good option for individuals who may not have time to attend 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 earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened as well. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be performed in Croydon PA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education may be the right option for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing a position after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Croydon PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Croydon PA medical assistant programs Before you can start examining 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 from home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Croydon PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you need to examine when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, 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 College Accredited? There are many good reasons to make sure that the program you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in 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 one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Croydon PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Croydon PA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students establish relationships within the Croydon health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Finding that first job may be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Croydon PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much personal instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a school to observe what the teaching atmosphere 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 school you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Croydon PA, make sure that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol 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 Croydon Pennsylvania?

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

Croydon, Pennsylvania

Croydon does not have a central government of its own. It is not organized or incorporated as a town or village. The area known as Croydon is located in Bristol Township. Croydon has an all-volunteer fire company which handles fire, medical, marine, and other calls servicing the community named Croydon Fire Company#1. Croydon uses zip code 19021.

Several notable mid-size businesses are headquartered in the business district of Croydon, including PAC Industries and Denaq Laptop Batteries. [[Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company] [Johnston's Sporting Goods] [Blask of Croydon] [White Oak's Pharmacy]] is also located in Croydon.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.4 km2 (2.5 sq mi), all of it land. Croydon is bordered to the south by Neshaminy Creek, which is tidal, and navigable by small vessels (about a 8 ft (2.4 m) to 6 ft (1.8 m) draft at high tide). There are several private marinas on the Neshaminy, and a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania marina (part of Neshaminy State Park) at the mouth of the creek. The Neshaminy empties into the Delaware River, which borders Croydon to the east, and forms the boundary between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Delaware is tidal in Croydon, and is navigable by ocean-going vessels (40 foot marked / maintained channel) as far upriver as Trenton, New Jersey.

Choose the Right Medical Assistant Course Croydon PA

Croydon PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch 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 right information on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Ophthalmic Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Croydon PA.