Good Medical Assistant Schools Landisville PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Landisville Pennsylvania

Landisville PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Landisville PA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of future students start 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 issues also. You might decide to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Landisville PA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their function is to make sure that the Landisville PA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. 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 professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

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

Although medical assistants may perform 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 offered 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 Courses

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Landisville 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 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at junior and community colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical element 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 Landisville PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have 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 attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced also. But keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be completed in Landisville PA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential Landisville PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and arguably 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, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Landisville PA medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Landisville PA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make sure that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction 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 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 either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Landisville PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Second, find out what the program’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. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Landisville PA area medical care providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Landisville medical community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Provided? Finding that very first job may be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Landisville PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a program to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Landisville PA, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, find out what the policy 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 Landisville Pennsylvania?

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

Salunga-Landisville, Pennsylvania

Salunga-Landisville consists of two census-designated places (CDPs) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States with a zip code of 17538. As of the 2010 United States Census the population of Salunga CDP was 2,695 people and the population of Landisville CDP was 1,893 people for a combined total of 4,588, a decrease of about 3.8% from the 2000 United States Census which recorded 4,771 in the Salunga-Landisville CDP. The name "Salunga" comes from the nearby Chiquesalunga (now Chickies) Creek,[1] which in turn is derived from the Lenape "Chiquesalunga", meaning "place of the crayfish".[2] Landisville is named for John Landis, the first postmaster there.[1]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 4,771 people, 1,763 households, and 1,394 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,567.2 people per square mile (606.0/km²). There were 1,780 housing units at an average density of 584.7/sq mi (226.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.06% White, 1.07% African American, 1.74% Asian, 0.48% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.

There were 1,763 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.5% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.06.

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Course Landisville PA

Landisville PA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to obtain the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Good Medical Assistant Schools. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, be 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 subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Landisville PA.