How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training Program near East Freedom Pennsylvania
Now that you have decided to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near East Freedom PA, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? Many prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You may decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have included several questions that you should 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 type of credentials and training that are available.
The Duties of Medical Assistants
The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their job is ensure that the East Freedom PA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Giving general support during examinations and procedures
While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Medical Assistant Training
Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of East Freedom PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 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 typically 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 option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Medical Assistant Online Classes
There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent choice for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in East Freedom PA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the right choice for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential East Freedom PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to East Freedom PA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should explore when evaluating schools. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to confirm that the program you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective East Freedom PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to choose a program focused on that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those 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 choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with East Freedom PA area health care providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the East Freedom health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Getting that initial job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the East Freedom PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a college to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the program you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near East Freedom PA, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near East Freedom Pennsylvania?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the East Freedom PA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Pennsylvania Route 851
Pennsylvania Route 851 (PA 851) is a 32.6-mile-long (52.5 km) state highway located in York County, Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 516 in the Codorus Township community of Sticks. The eastern terminus is at PA 74 in Peach Bottom Township. PA 851 is a two-lane undivided road that runs through rural areas in southern York County a short distance to the north of the Maryland border. The route heads east from Sticks to New Freedom, where it turns north and intersects PA 616 in Railroad. PA 851 heads east through Shrewsbury and comes to an interchange with Interstate 83 (I-83). From here, the route heads east and passes through Stewartstown, where it forms a short concurrency with PA 24, and Fawn Grove, where it intersects PA 425, before continuing to its terminus. PA 851 has a truck route, PA 851 Truck, which bypasses the stretch between New Freedom and Shrewsbury.
PA 851 was designated in 1928 to run from Woodbine north to PA 74 in Airville. In 1937, PA 851 was realigned to run from U.S. Route 111 (US 111) at Main Street in Shrewsbury east to PA 74 north of Delta, with the former alignment between Woodbine and Airville becoming an extension of PA 124 (now PA 425). The same year, the road between Sticks and New Freedom became an extended PA 516 while the road between New Freedom and Railroad became an extended PA 616. PA 516 was extended east to I-83/US 111 east of Shrewsbury in the 1950s, replacing PA 616 between New Freedom and Railroad and cutting the west end of PA 851 back to the interchange. PA 851 was extended west to PA 516 in Sticks in the 1960s, replacing the part of PA 516 between Sticks and I-83. A roundabout was constructed at PA 74 in 2008.
PA 851 begins at an intersection with PA 516 just south of PA 216 in the community of Sticks in Codorus Township, York County, heading southeast on Steltz Road. The road winds southeast through farmland with some woods and homes, eventually bending to the south. The route turns east to remain along Steltz Road and runs a short distance to the north of the Maryland border, passing through the community of Steitz and crossing into Shrewsbury Township. PA 851 turns northeast away from the state line and continues through a mix of farm fields and woodland with occasional residences. The road curves east and then southeast before it makes a sharp turn to the northeast. The route becomes the border between Shrewsbury Township to the west and the borough of New Freedom to the east, passing between farmland to the west and residential neighborhoods to the east. PA 851 curves east to fully enter New Freedom and turns southeast onto West Main Street, passing a mix of homes and businesses. The route turns northeast onto North 2nd Street, with PA 851 Truck continuing east along West Main Street, and continues through residential areas. The road curves north into wooded areas and runs to the west of Old Mill Creek, the Steam into History tourist railroad, and the York County Heritage Rail Trail. PA 851 crosses into the borough of Railroad and becomes South Main Street, quickly turning west and then north as it runs through a mix of woods and residences. The route comes to an intersection with the southern terminus of PA 616, at which point it turns east onto East Main Street and crosses the South Branch Codorus Creek and both the Steam into History line and the York County Heritage Rail Trail. The road continues through wooded areas with some homes before leaving Railroad for Shrewsbury Township and turning northeast through farm fields.[2][3]
Select the Right Medical Assistant School East Freedom PA
It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, for example 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 Being A Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind 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 provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can ultimately start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in East Freedom PA.
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