Medical Assistant Course Requirements New Hope PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near New Hope Pennsylvania

New Hope PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near New Hope PA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors also. You may decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished 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 function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with New Hope PA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their job is to make sure that the New Hope PA clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers 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 tasked with giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving general support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some choose 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

In contrast to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of New Hope PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to 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 frequently have a practical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. 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 related field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in New Hope PA There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good choice for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be completed in New Hope PA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the best option for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing a job after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of potential New Hope PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of 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 exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask New Hope PA medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to New Hope PA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must look at when evaluating schools. To assist you with that task, following are some 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 great reasons to ensure that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective New Hope PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must find out 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 example, then of course you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to acquiring 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, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about two years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with New Hope PA area medical providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the New Hope health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Finding that initial job can be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the New Hope PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller 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 convenient, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s imperative that the program you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near New Hope PA, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also have to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near New Hope Pennsylvania?

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

New Hope, Pennsylvania

New Hope is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2010 census. New Hope is located approximately 30 mi (48 km) north of Philadelphia, and lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. The two-lane New Hope – Lambertville Bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the Delaware to Lambertville, New Jersey on the east bank.

New Hope is located along the route of the Old York Road, the former main highway between Philadelphia and New York City. It was generally regarded as the halfway point, where travelers would stay overnight and be ferried across the Delaware River the next morning. The section of U.S. Route 202 that passes just north of New Hope is still named York Road, and the original route is now known as Bridge Street (PA 179).

New Hope was first called "Coryell's Ferry", after the owner of the ferry business. The current name came into use following a fire in 1790 that destroyed several mills in the area; their reconstruction was considered a "new hope"

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Course New Hope PA

New Hope PA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch 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 right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, 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 Course Requirements. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in New Hope PA.