How to Pick a Medical Assistant School near Mifflintown Pennsylvania
Once you have decided to join the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Mifflintown PA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You may choose to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you should ask all of the colleges 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 type of training and credentials that are offered.
The Duties of Medical Assistants
The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Mifflintown PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work run successfully. Based 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 tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
- Giving basic support during exams and procedures
Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn 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
Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Mifflintown PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical 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.
Medical Assistant Online Colleges
There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent alternative for students who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized also. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Mifflintown PA area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your training may be the best choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in getting employment after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Mifflintown PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate 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 provided by the NHA.
Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Mifflintown PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must explore when assessing programs. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make sure that the school you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the education 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 organizations for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Mifflintown PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs 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 getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing provide the type of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Mifflintown PA area health care providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Mifflintown healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Getting that first job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Mifflintown PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a college to observe what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Mifflintown PA, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, ask 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 Mifflintown Pennsylvania?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Mifflintown PA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Mifflintown, Pennsylvania
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 861 people, 372 households, and 210 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,184.9 people per square mile (2,374.5/km²). There were 395 housing units at an average density of 2,837.4 per square mile (1,089.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.96% White, 0.23% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 3.72% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.71% of the population.
There were 372 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.5% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.
Choose the Best Medical Assistant Course Mifflintown PA
It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Online Medical Assistant Certification Programs. But irrespective 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, 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 ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Mifflintown PA.
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