Medical Assistant Colleges Harleysville PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Harleysville Pennsylvania

Harleysville PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Harleysville PA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Many future students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean 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 critical factors as well. You may want to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have provided some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Harleysville PA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their role is ensure that the Harleysville PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and attain 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 Training Courses

Unlike many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Harleysville PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two options available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about a year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at community and junior colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Harleysville PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good alternative for students who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced also. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be carried out in Harleysville PA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training may be the ideal option for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for individuals who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Harleysville PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Harleysville PA medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Harleysville PA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to explore when researching programs. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to verify that the program you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations 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 allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Harleysville PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Harleysville PA area medical providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Harleysville healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Landing that very first job may be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Harleysville PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before enrolling in a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere 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 imperative that the program you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Harleysville PA, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently 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 because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Harleysville Pennsylvania?

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

Harleysville, Pennsylvania

Harleysville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. The population was 9,286 at the 2010 census. It is located mostly within Lower Salford Township and also in Franconia Township. Harleysville was settled by Pennsylvania Dutch in the 18th century and was named after Samuel Harley.

Route 63 (Main Street) and Route 113 (Harleysville Pike) meet in Harleysville and provide access to other routes on the main grid. Interstate 476 is a five-minute drive via 63 from Harleysville to the Lansdale Interchange, on the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Center City Philadelphia is less than 30 miles from Harleysville.

As of the 2010 census, the CDP was 90.4% Non-Hispanic White, 2.6% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American and Alaskan Native, 3.5% Asian, 0.6% were Some Other Race, and 1.2% were two or more races. 2.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[3]

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Program Harleysville PA

Harleysville PA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Colleges. But regardless 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, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Harleysville PA.