Accelerated Medical Assistant Programs Holmes PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training Program near Holmes Pennsylvania

Holmes PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Holmes PA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? A number of prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You may want to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Holmes PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Holmes PA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. Based on the size or type 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 health practitioners but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the choices available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

In contrast to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Holmes PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to complete, 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 attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Holmes PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent choice for individuals who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be minimized also. Just keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be completed in Holmes PA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the right choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Holmes PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. 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, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Holmes PA medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Holmes PA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should explore when assessing programs. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many good reasons to make certain that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee 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 acknowledged agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Holmes PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make sure that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Holmes PA area health care providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Holmes medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Finding that initial job can be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Holmes PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller 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 possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the school you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Holmes PA, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that may be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Holmes Pennsylvania?

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

H. H. Holmes

While he confessed to 27 murders,[2] only nine could be plausibly confirmed and several of the people whom he claimed to have murdered were still alive. He is commonly said to have killed as many as 200, though this figure is only traceable to 1940s pulp magazines.[3] Many victims were said to have been killed in a mixed-use building which he owned, located about 3 miles (5 km) west of the 1893 World's Fair: Columbian Exposition, supposedly called the World's Fair Hotel (informally called "The Murder Hotel"), though evidence suggests that the hotel portion was never truly open for business.[3]

Besides being a serial killer, Holmes was also a con artist and a bigamist, the subject of more than 50 lawsuits in Chicago alone. Many now-common stories of his crimes sprang from fictional accounts that later authors took for fact; however, in a 2017 biography, Adam Selzer wrote that Holmes' story is "effectively a new American tall tale – and, like all the best tall tales, it sprang from a kernel of truth".[3]

H. H. Holmes was executed on May 7, 1896, nine days before his 35th birthday, for the murder of his friend and accomplice Benjamin Pitezel. During his trial for the murder of Pitezel, Holmes confessed to numerous other killings.[4]

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Course Holmes PA

Holmes PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Accelerated Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Holmes PA.