Medical Assistant Classes Online Glenshaw PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training Program near Glenshaw Pennsylvania

Glenshaw PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Glenshaw PA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Many potential students begin by checking out 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 extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors also. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Glenshaw PA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their duty is ensure that the Glenshaw PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Based 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 responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and obtain 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 Programs

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Glenshaw PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest path 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 created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare 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 similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Glenshaw PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good choice for students who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Glenshaw PA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your training might be the right option for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Glenshaw PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Glenshaw PA medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Glenshaw PA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should explore when assessing programs. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to confirm that the program you select 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 need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Glenshaw PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose 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 one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, verify that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Glenshaw PA area medical providers. They are a great method to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students develop relationships within the Glenshaw healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Landing that first job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Glenshaw PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the school you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Glenshaw PA, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still need to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Glenshaw Pennsylvania?

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

Shaler Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Shaler Township is a township in Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It consists of much of the community of Glenshaw and several neighboring communities. The population was 28,757 at the 2010 census.

Traders began settling in the Shaler area in the mid-18th century. The most prominent early trader in the area was George Croghan, who came in the early 1740s. By 1754, settlement included the Pine Creek trading post, where Europeans traded fur and skins with the Mingo and other Native Americans in the Ohio Valley. The second early European settlement was Girty's Run, established by Simon Girty.[3]

The village of Glenshaw, Pennsylvania—at the center of what became Shaler Township—was established in the early 19th century, beginning with a log sawmill built by John Shaw, Sr. after he bought 600 acres (2.4 km2) of land north of Pittsburgh in 1800. The area became known as "Shaw's Glen", and later Glenshaw. Members of the Shaw family subsequently built a log gristmill, a sickle factory, and a coal mine.[4]

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Glenshaw PA

Glenshaw 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 proper training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the right information on available programs before making your selection. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Classes Online. 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Glenshaw PA.