How Long Is Medical Assistant Training Marietta PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School near Marietta Pennsylvania

Marietta PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Marietta PA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Many potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes 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 important factors also. You may choose to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have provided several questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Marietta PA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their job is to make sure that the Marietta PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work run successfully. Depending 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 responsible for providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and earn 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 Programs

Unlike most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Marietta PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, 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 option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually 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 Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Marietta PA There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are an excellent choice for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized also. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Marietta PA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for those who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Marietta PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Marietta PA medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Marietta PA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to examine when assessing programs. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the college you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to 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 school is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Marietta PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Marietta PA area health care providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students build relationships within the Marietta health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Finding that initial job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Marietta PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a college to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s essential that the program you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Marietta PA, make certain that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Marietta Pennsylvania?

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

Marietta, Pennsylvania

In 1727, James Anderson made a lottery that laid out part of present-day Marietta. Later David Cook laid another portion of present-day Marietta. Further development by Jacob Grosh, John Myers, John Peadan, James Mehaffey, Benjamin Long, and James Huffy laid out the rest of present-day Marietta. In 1812, the borough was incorporated, merging all the areas of town except for the western portion of the borough which was extended into Marietta at a later date.

For the first couple years of existence, the growth of the borough was meager. Then an economic crisis struck the town, not relenting until around 1830. Then throughout the years, industries such as timber and iron smelting provided many economic opportunities in the borough.[4]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 2,689 people, 1,092 households, and 723 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,587.0 people per square mile (1,384.3/km²). There were 1,168 housing units at an average density of 1,558.1 per square mile (601.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.83% White, 2.49% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.90% of the population.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Marietta PA

Marietta PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Whether you’re planning to launch 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 right information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long Is Medical Assistant Training. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Marietta PA.