Medical Assistant Vocational Schools King of Prussia PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School Program near King of Prussia Pennsylvania

King of Prussia PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near King of Prussia PA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Most potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You might decide to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have provided some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with King of Prussia PA nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their role is ensure that the King of Prussia PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Programs

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of King of Prussia PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about one year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in King of Prussia PA There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good option for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue to work full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened also. Just keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be performed in King of Prussia 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 getting your training might be the ideal option for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for individuals who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible King of Prussia PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask King of Prussia PA medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to King of Prussia PA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you should explore when assessing programs. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to make certain that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential King of Prussia PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to enroll in 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 just one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the colleges you are considering provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with King of Prussia PA area healthcare providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students establish relationships within the King of Prussia healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Finding that initial job can be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the King of Prussia 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 health care community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a school to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the school you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near King of Prussia PA, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also need to schedule all internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near King of Prussia Pennsylvania?

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

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

King of Prussia (also referred to as KOP)[3] is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,936. The community took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, which was named after King Frederick the Great of Prussia. Like the rest of Montgomery County, King of Prussia continues to experience rapid development. The largest shopping mall in the United States, King of Prussia, is located here. Also located here is the headquarters of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region I. King of Prussia is considered to be an edge city of Philadelphia, consisting of large amounts of retail and office space situated at the convergence of four highways.

The eponymous King of Prussia Inn was originally constructed as a cottage in 1719 by the Welsh Quakers William and Janet Rees, founders of Reesville. The cottage was converted to an inn in 1769 and did a steady business in colonial times as it was approximately a day's travel by horse from Philadelphia. Settlers headed west to Ohio would sleep at the inn on their first night on the road. In 1774 the Rees family hired James Berry to manage the inn, which henceforth became known as "Berry's Tavern". General George Washington first visited the tavern on Thanksgiving Day in 1777 while the Continental Army was encamped at Whitemarsh; a few weeks later Washington and the army bivouacked at nearby Valley Forge.[4]

Parker's spy map,[5] created by a Tory sympathizer of the Kingdom of Great Britain, listed the inn as "Berry's" in 1777, but a local petition in 1786 identified it as the "King of Prussia". It was possibly renamed in honor of Benjamin Franklin's pro-American satirical essay "An Edict by the King of Prussia".[6] At some point a wooden signboard of the inn depicted King Frederick II (Frederick the Great) of Prussia. The inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[7]

Select the Best Medical Assistant Course King of Prussia PA

King of Prussia PA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Vocational Schools. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can ultimately start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in King of Prussia PA.