Schools That Offer Medical Assistant Fairless Hills PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training Program near Fairless Hills Pennsylvania

Fairless Hills PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Fairless Hills PA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many potential students start by researching 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, internship programs and job assistance are important issues also. You may want to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Fairless Hills PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their role is to make sure that the Fairless Hills PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and attain 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

Compared to most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Fairless Hills 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 basically two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often 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 Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Fairless Hills PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good alternative for students who might not have time to attend 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 degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced also. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be completed in Fairless Hills PA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the best choice for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing a position after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some potential Fairless Hills PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. 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 exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Fairless Hills PA medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Fairless Hills PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to look at when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to verify that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete 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 agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Fairless Hills PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Fairless Hills PA area medical providers. They are a great way to get hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Fairless Hills medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Getting that very first job may be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Fairless Hills PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a program to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the college you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Fairless Hills PA, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Fairless Hills Pennsylvania?

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

Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania

Fairless Hills as it is known today began in 1951 when developer Danherst Corporation began erecting prefabricated homes built by Gunnison Magichomes, Inc. Gunnison was a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Steel. The development was financed by U.S. Steel with a loan of $50 million. It was named in honor of Benjamin Fairless, then president of U.S. Steel, which operated the "Fairless Works" plant which employed most of Fairless Hills' homeowners at the time.[2]

As of the 2010 census, Fairless Hills was 85.2% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 5.6% Asian, 0.1% some other race, and 1.6% were two or more races. 3.6% were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. 8.4% of the population were foreign-born.[6]

As of the 2000 census, there were 3,220 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.15.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant School Fairless Hills PA

Fairless Hills PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you select 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 Schools That Offer Medical Assistant. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Fairless Hills PA.