How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Program near Lock Haven Pennsylvania
Once you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Lock Haven PA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? A number of potential students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You might choose to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have included several questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.
The Duties of a Medical Assistant
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their function is ensure that the Lock Haven PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
- Scheduling and verifying appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Providing basic support during exams and procedures
Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Medical Assistant Education
Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Lock Haven PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options available for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at community and junior colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Online Medical Assistant Colleges
There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be carried out in Lock Haven PA area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the ideal choice for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing a position after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential Lock Haven PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.
What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you must 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 selections have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Lock Haven PA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should examine when assessing programs. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to verify that the school you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Lock Haven PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, 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 instance, then obviously you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Lock Haven PA area health care providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Lock Haven health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Finding that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Lock Haven PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before choosing a school to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the school you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Lock Haven PA, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, 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 responsibilities.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Lock Haven Pennsylvania?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Lock Haven PA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
The city of Lock Haven is the county seat of Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek, it is the principal city of the Lock Haven Micropolitan Statistical Area, itself part of the Williamsport–Lock Haven combined statistical area. At the 2010 census, Lock Haven's population was 9,772.
Built on a site long favored by pre-Columbian peoples, Lock Haven began in 1833 as a timber town and a haven for loggers, boatmen, and other travelers on the river or the West Branch Canal. Resource extraction and efficient transportation financed much of the city's growth through the end of the 19th century. In the 20th century, a light-aircraft factory, a college, and a paper mill, along with many smaller enterprises, drove the economy. Frequent floods, especially in 1972, damaged local industry and led to a high rate of unemployment in the 1980s.
The city has three sites on the National Register of Historic Places—Memorial Park Site, a significant pre-Columbian archaeological find; Heisey House, a Victorian-era museum; and Water Street District, an area with a mix of 19th- and 20th-century architecture. A levee, completed in 1995, protects the city from further flooding. While industry remains important to the city, about a third of Lock Haven's workforce is employed in education, health care, or social services.
Pick the Right Medical Assistant Program Lock Haven PA
It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Schools Near Me. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Lock Haven PA.
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