How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Girard Pennsylvania
Now that you have decided to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Girard PA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? A number of prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues also. You might choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.
The Duties of Medical Assistants
The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their function is ensure that the Girard PA clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Based 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 tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
- Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
- Giving basic support during examinations and procedures
Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Medical Assistant Training Courses
Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Girard PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about a year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a practical component involving 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.
Medical Assistant Online Courses
There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good option for students who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced as well. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be performed in Girard PA area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the ideal option for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Girard PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.
Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs
Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Girard PA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to examine when researching schools. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.
Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many good reasons to confirm that the school you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged agencies 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 either of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Girard PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are those that you will want to avoid.
Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Girard PA area medical providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Girard medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Finding that first job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Girard PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Girard PA, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Girard Pennsylvania?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Girard PA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Girard, Pennsylvania
Girard's history began with a petition to "Township Status" in 1832 by reassigning lands previously allocated to neighboring municipalities (Springfield, Fairview, and Elk Creek). The name is in honor of Stephen Girard, a banking tycoon of the late 1700s and early 1800s.[5][6] Stephen Girard, a resident of Philadelphia at that time, was chosen for a variety of reasons. He owned much of the neighboring Springfield Township, and had been admired by the residents in the region. Additionally, Girard officials had been lobbying with Stephen Girard's foundation, upon his death in 1831, to be the site of the bequeathed Girard College. Despite this attempt, his family, and will executors chose to establish the boarding school in Philadelphia, where Stephen Girard had a long-standing tradition as a local philanthropist.
Girard is located in western Erie County at 42°0′21″N 80°19′17″W / 42.00583°N 80.32139°W / 42.00583; -80.32139 (42.005954, -80.321481).[7] It is bordered to the northwest by the borough of Lake City and on all other sides by Girard Township.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.1 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2), or 0.81%, is water.[4]Elk Creek roughly follows the southwest border of the borough as it flows northwest to Lake Erie.
Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant College Girard PA
It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate 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 lifetime career, you must obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Online School. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Girard PA.
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