How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training Program near New Wilmington Pennsylvania
Now that you have made a decision to join the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near New Wilmington PA, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Many future students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You may choose to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have provided some questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.
The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant
The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their job is ensure that the New Wilmington PA hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and filing claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
- Giving general support during examinations and procedures
Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
Medical Assistant Training Courses
Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of New Wilmington PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Medical Assistant Online Classes
There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent alternative for those who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized also. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be completed in New Wilmington PA area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your education may be the ideal choice for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting employment after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible New Wilmington PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.
Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to New Wilmington PA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to examine when assessing programs. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.
Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to verify that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted agencies 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 intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective New Wilmington PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.
What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with New Wilmington PA area medical providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the New Wilmington healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Getting that initial job can be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the New Wilmington PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher 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 large network of contacts to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before choosing a program to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near New Wilmington PA, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy 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 New Wilmington Pennsylvania?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the New Wilmington PA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
New Wilmington, Pennsylvania
New Wilmington is a borough in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, first platted in 1824 and established as a borough on April 9, 1863. The population was 2,466 at the 2010 census.[4] It is home to Westminster College and serves the Old Order Amish community in the surrounding Wilmington Township.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), of which 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2), or 1.85%, is water.
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 2,452 people, 577 households, and 324 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,313.2 people per square mile (893.1/km²). There were 611 housing units at an average density of 576.4 per square mile (222.6/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.21% White, 0.57% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population. 26.0% were of German, 12.6% Italian, 11.8% Irish, 9.1% English and 7.3% Scotch-Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.9% spoke English and 1.2% Spanish as their first language.
Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Training New Wilmington PA
It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Study. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in New Wilmington PA.
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