Registered Medical Assistant Certification Donora PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training School near Donora Pennsylvania

Donora PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Donora PA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? Many prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors also. You may decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have included a few 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 role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Donora PA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their job is to make sure that the Donora PA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending 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 giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and attain 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 Training Programs

Unlike most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Donora PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options available for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as 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 courses. They often have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Donora PA There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent option for students who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue to work full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced also. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Donora PA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education may be the ideal choice for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to attain 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 an excellent idea for individuals who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Donora PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Donora PA medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you must determine which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many potential students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to Donora PA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to look at when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several good reasons to make sure that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 school is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Donora PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to find out which of the certifications the colleges 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 select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to obtaining 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 about 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Donora PA area healthcare providers. They are a great means to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Donora medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Getting that very first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Donora PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a school to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Donora PA, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Donora Pennsylvania?

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

Donora, Pennsylvania

Donora was incorporated in 1901. It got its name from a combination of William Donner and Nora Mellon, banker Andrew W. Mellon's wife. The borough's nickname is "The Home of Champions", mainly because of the large number of famous athletes who have called Donora their home.

A trolley line opened in Donora on December 15, 1901, linking First and McKean, and Fifteenth Street and Meldon.[4] It was extended in 1911 to Black Diamond to connect to the Charleroi to Pittsburgh interurban trolley. The line was abandoned on May 5, 1953.

The town was the scene of the infamous Donora Smog of 1948. Between October 26 and October 31, 1948, an air inversion trapped industrial effluent (air pollution) from the American Steel and Wire plant and Donora Zinc Works. During this spike in air pollution, 6,000 people suffered respiratory problems and extreme discomfort.[5] "In three days, 20 people died... After the inversion lifted, another 50 died, including Lukasz Musial, the father of baseball great Stan Musial. Hundreds more finished the rest of their lives with damaged lungs and hearts."[6] The incident made national headlines. Today, the town is home to the Donora Smog Museum which tells the impact of the Donora Smog on the air quality standards enacted by the federal government in subsequent years.[7]

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant College Donora PA

Donora PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Registered Medical Assistant Certification. 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 so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Donora PA.