Medical Assistant School Requirements Norristown PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Norristown Pennsylvania

Norristown PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Norristown PA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? Most prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors also. You might decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Norristown PA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their role is ensure that the Norristown PA clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work operate successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a specific 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 Programs

In contrast to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Norristown PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually 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 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Norristown PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized also. But remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be performed in Norristown PA area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your education may be the ideal option for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. Many possible Norristown PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. 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). To qualify 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 available also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Norristown PA medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Norristown PA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must explore when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many great reasons to confirm that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in 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 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 frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many potential Norristown PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, verify that the colleges you are considering provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Norristown PA area medical care providers. They are a great method to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Norristown health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Landing that very first job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Norristown PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a college to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s essential that the college you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Norristown PA, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all internships or practical training that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Norristown Pennsylvania?

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

Norristown, Pennsylvania

Norristown is a borough (with home rule status) in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States.[3] Located along the Schuylkill River approximately six miles from the Philadelphia city limits, Norristown has a population of 34,324 as of the 2010 U.S. Census. It is the fourth most populous municipality in the county and second most populous borough in Pennsylvania.[4]

Named the county seat in 1784 when Montgomery County was formed, Norristown was incorporated as a borough in 1812 and subsequently enlarged in 1853. About 500 people lived there at the time of its incorporation. Growing rapidly after the Civil War, it swelled to 22,265 people by 1900 and by 1940 it was home to 38,181 Norristonians, making it the most populous borough in Pennsylvania before declining in the decades after World War II.

At its height, Norristown was an industrial, retail, banking, and government center. Breweries, cigar factories, textile mills, icehouses, foundries, rolling mills, and lumber yards provided ample employment for skilled laborers and artisans.[5] The downtown featured two department stores, several theaters, and enough goods and services that residents never had to leave town to find anything they needed.[6] Although primarily settled by the English and a handful of Germans, Scots, Dutch, and Swedes, in the mid-1800s the Irish began arriving in large numbers, followed by waves of Italians at the turn of the century.[7]

Select the Best Medical Assistant Training Program Norristown PA

Norristown PA medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant School Requirements. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Norristown PA.