Medical Assistant Trade Schools Near Me New Kensington PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School near New Kensington Pennsylvania

New Kensington PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near New Kensington PA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? Many potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You might decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have provided several questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with New Kensington PA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their function is to make sure that the New Kensington PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving 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 potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some opt 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) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

Compared to most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of New Kensington PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options available for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in New Kensington PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent option for those who might not have time to go to 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, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced as well. Just bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be carried out in New Kensington PA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your training might be the right option for you. Between the online courses 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 those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing a job after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of potential New Kensington PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained 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 sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask New Kensington PA medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to New Kensington PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to explore when evaluating schools. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many good reasons to make sure that the college you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive 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 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 agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective New Kensington PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Next, learn what the school’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 school’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the colleges you are looking at provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with New Kensington PA area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the New Kensington healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Getting that first job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the New Kensington PA area and find out 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 health care community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near New Kensington PA, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near New Kensington Pennsylvania?

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

New Kensington, Pennsylvania

New Kensington, known locally as New Ken, is a city in Westmoreland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated along the Allegheny River 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 13,116 at the 2010 Census.

Like much of Westmoreland County and surrounding areas, the region was a hunting ground for Native Americans of the Six Nations European-American settlement began in the mid-1700s. Continental army troops built Fort Crawford, near the mouth of Pucketa Creek, in 1777. The fort was abandoned in 1793.

Originally part of Burrell (and later Lower Burrell) Township, the city of New Kensington was founded in 1891. In 1890, the Burrell Improvement Company considered the advantages of the level land south of its home in Lower Burrell, and deemed it a prime location for a city and named the area "Kensington"; this was later changed to "New Kensington" for postal reasons, to avoid confusion with the Philadelphia neighborhood of the same name. In an attempt to make New Kensington comparable to Pittsburgh, the streets were named with numbers. Avenues ran parallel to the river, while streets were perpendicular. The main commercial streets were 4th and 5th avenues.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant College New Kensington PA

New Kensington PA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must acquire the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges 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 select is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Trade Schools Near Me. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend 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 so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in New Kensington PA.