Medical Assistant Skills Gladwyne PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Gladwyne Pennsylvania

Gladwyne 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 Gladwyne PA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Most future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You may choose to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Gladwyne PA nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their job is ensure that the Gladwyne PA clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size 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 practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving general support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Gladwyne PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed 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 typically 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Gladwyne PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. But keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be performed in Gladwyne PA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the right option for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for individuals who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some potential Gladwyne PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Gladwyne PA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from 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, many prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Gladwyne PA with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to look at when assessing programs. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many good reasons to verify that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved organizations for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your school is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Gladwyne PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are looking at 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 targeting that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive 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 earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Gladwyne PA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students establish relationships within the Gladwyne healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Finding that very first job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Gladwyne PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to witness 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 school while you continue working full time, it’s important that the college you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Gladwyne PA, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Gladwyne Pennsylvania?

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

Gladwyne, Pennsylvania

Gladwyne is a very affluent suburban community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States along the historic Philadelphia Main Line. In 2018, Gladwyne was ranked the 6th richest ZIP code (using 2015 IRS data) in the country in a study by Bloomberg BusinessWeek.[1] The population was 4,071 at the 2010 US census. As Gladwyne is neither an incorporated area nor a census-designated place, all data are for the ZIP code 19035, with which the community is coterminous.

There are four churches, a synagogue, a library, two schools, the Gladwyne fire company, the Gladwyne Civic Association, the Stony Lane Swim Club, playgrounds, parks, businesses, and retail shops within the confines of Gladwyne. The historic Guard House Inn is also located within Gladwyne. The village is also home to the Philadelphia Country Club on its periphery, Merion Cricket Club, and to The Courts, a private tennis club. Because the town was early to preserve space and has received many donations of land, developers have not subdivided the area into more typical suburban developments, so the area retains a mixture of farm, colonial town, and late 19th/early 20th housing uncharacteristic of other Main Line communities.

Banker James Crosby Brown of Brown Brothers & Co. built a 185-acre (0.75 km2) estate that later was divided into non-divisible (deed-restricted) lots of three to 17 acres (6.9 ha), an early act of (partial) preservation that set an important precedent for future acts by both individuals and the township.[2] The Lower Merion Conservancy plays a significant role in protecting the local heritage and maintains its office in Gladwyne's Rolling Hill Park.[3]

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Gladwyne PA

Gladwyne PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will provide the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Skills. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Gladwyne PA.