Medical Assistant Certification Programs Near Me Havertown PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near Havertown Pennsylvania

Havertown PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Havertown PA, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? A number of future students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors also. You might 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 carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished some questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Havertown PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their function is to make sure that the Havertown PA clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some opt 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 Education

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Havertown PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate 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 healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Havertown PA There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent option for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in Havertown PA area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Havertown PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of 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 exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Havertown PA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Havertown PA with the cheapest 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 should explore when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the college you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must complete 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Havertown PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about two years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, verify that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Havertown PA area medical providers. They are a great way to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Havertown healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Landing that first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Havertown PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before selecting a school to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working 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 Havertown PA, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Havertown Pennsylvania?

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

Havertown, Pennsylvania

Havertown is a residential suburban unincorporated community in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 9 miles west of the center of Philadelphia. Havertown's ZIP Code is 19083. "Havertown" is a postal address. The name "Havertown" does not appear until the advent of the ZIP Code. Prior to the ZIP Code each community was known by its local name: Brookline, Penfield, Beechwood, Llanerch, Manoa, Oakmont, Coopertown, Ardmore. Under William Penn's land divisions these communities were part of the Welsh Tract and comprised the area known as Harford, a Welsh contraction of Haverford.[1]

Haverford Township was founded by Welsh Quakers in 1681 on land purchased from William Penn. The settlers named their new home after Haverfordwest, Wales, UK.The township is home to many historic sites. The Grange Estate, entertained the Revolutionary War figures George Washington and General Lafayette. Nitre Hall, along Karakung (Cobb's) Creek, supplied the United States with over 800,000 pounds of gunpowder during the War of 1812. Leedom Hall[2] was the probable home to William Howell the founder of Haverford Mills which date from 1688.[3] Other Havertown sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the Federal School and Lawrence Cabin. Coopertown, appears as early as 1848 as the first community and the earliest post office is found at the Spread Eagle Tavern at the junction of the present Eagle and Manoa Roads.

The Haverford Road is one of the earliest roads laid out by civil ordinance. Dates for its layout and completion vary from 1687 to 1703. Darby Road, known earlier as Coopertown Road dates from 1687. Records show its extension to Radnor the “principal market for corn,” ordered in 1696.[4] Mill Road, at one time called Dickinson Mill Road, may be one of the earliest roads of popular use. Its zig-zag pattern illustrates the indirect path required by horse and cart going up or down hill. Eagle Road which takes its present name from the Spread Eagle Tavern c.1814 led Quaker settlers to the Haverford Meeting House

Choose the Best Medical Assistant Program Havertown PA

Havertown PA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized organization, for example 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 Certification Programs Near Me. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Havertown PA.