National Registered Certified Medical Assistant Doylestown PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Doylestown Pennsylvania

Doylestown PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Doylestown PA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Most prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You may choose to research several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have included a few questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Doylestown PA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their function is to make sure that the Doylestown PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work operate successfully. 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 providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

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

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and obtain 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

In contrast to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Doylestown PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed 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 usually 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. 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 related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Doylestown PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good option for students who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced also. But keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Doylestown PA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your education may be the best option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for graduates who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Doylestown PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. 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 take the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated 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 offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Doylestown PA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Doylestown PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you need to explore when assessing schools. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive 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 eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Doylestown PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and obtain 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 acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Doylestown PA area health care providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Doylestown healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Landing that very first job may be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Doylestown PA 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 an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much personal instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Doylestown PA, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Doylestown Pennsylvania?

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

Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Doylestown is a borough and the county seat of Bucks County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located 27 miles (43 km) north of Philadelphia and 80 miles (130 km) southwest of New York City. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380.[3]

Doylestown's origins date to 1745 when William Doyle obtained a license to build a tavern on what is now the northwest corner of Main and State Street. Known for years as "William Doyle's Tavern," its strategic location — at the intersection of the road (now U.S. Route 202) linking Swede's Ford (Norristown) and Coryell's Ferry (New Hope) and the road (now PA Route 611) linking Philadelphia and Easton — allowed the hamlet to blossom into a village. The first church was erected in 1815, followed by a succession of congregations throughout the 19th century.

As the population of Central and Upper Bucks County grew throughout the 18th and into the 19th century, discontent developed with the county seat's location in Newtown, where it had been since 1725. The county seat moved north to the more centrally located Doylestown in 1813. An outgrowth of Doylestown's new courthouse was the development of "lawyers row", a collection of Federal-style offices. One positive consequence of early 19th-century investment in the new county seat was organized fire protection, which began in 1825 with the Doylestown Fire Engine Company.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant College Doylestown PA

Doylestown PA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in National Registered Certified Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Doylestown PA.