Certified Medical Assistant Training Houston PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

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

Houston PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Houston PA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? Many prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors as well. You might want to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (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 reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Houston PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their role is ensure that the Houston PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a specific 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 Training

In contrast to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Houston PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two choices offered for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Houston PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good option for those who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be completed in Houston PA area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the best choice for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Houston PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Houston PA medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. As soon as 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 students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Houston PA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to look at when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the college 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 intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Houston PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to select a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Houston PA area healthcare providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Houston healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Getting that first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Houston PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before choosing a program to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the college you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Houston PA, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any clinical training or internships 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 emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Houston Pennsylvania?

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

Houston, Pennsylvania

The land on which this town stands was part of a tract purchased from John Haft on January 24, 1827, by Daniel Houston, a near relative of Gen. Sam Houston, leader of the Texans in their war for independence from Mexico. After the Chartiers Valley Railroad was completed through that section in 1871, David C. Houston, a son of Daniel Houston, saw the possibilities of a town at that point and laid out the present plan of Houstonville. The first house in the new town was completed in the summer of 1871 by A. T. Haft and the second by J. C. Johnson. A few years later H. E. Riggle laid out a plan adjoining which was called Riggletown. On May 13, 1901, The Borough of Houston was incorporated from land of Chartiers & North Strabane Townships.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 1,314 people, 614 households, and 340 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,581.7 people per square mile (1,371.2/km²). There were 668 housing units at an average density of 1,820.8 per square mile (697.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.44% White, 3.65% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population.

There were 614 households out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.6% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.91.

Pick the Best Medical Assistant School Houston PA

Houston PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the right information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Training. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can ultimately start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Houston PA.