Medical Assistant Graduation North Wales PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near North Wales Pennsylvania

North Wales PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near North Wales PA, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Many potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest 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 important factors also. You might decide to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have provided 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 function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with North Wales PA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their role is to make sure that the North Wales PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work run successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing 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 duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and attain 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 Courses

In contrast to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many North Wales PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare 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.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in North Wales PA There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are a good choice for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened also. Just bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in North Wales PA area health 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 may be the ideal choice for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some possible North Wales PA medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order 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 available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask North Wales PA medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to North Wales PA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should 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 thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several good reasons to make certain that the program you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your school is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective North Wales PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must find out which of the certifications the programs 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 concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma 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 elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, verify that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with North Wales PA area medical care providers. They are a great method to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the North Wales health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Getting that first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the North Wales PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the college you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near North Wales PA, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near North Wales Pennsylvania?

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

North Wales, Pennsylvania

North Wales is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Philadelphia, and is one of the three historic population centers that make up the North Penn Valley, which is centered around the borough of Lansdale. The population was 3,229 at the 2010 census.

Like many small boroughs in Pennsylvania, North Wales is at "build out", meaning that its boundaries have not kept up with population growth. Summarily, many businesses and residences with North Wales addresses are located in outlying townships that were never annexed by the borough, such as the Montgomery Mall in Montgomery Township. North Wales is in the North Penn School District.

As its name suggests, North Wales was settled by Welsh immigrants who named it after North Wales in Wales (for more on Welsh settlements in colonial Pennsylvania, see "Welsh Tract"). Part of a 1702 William Penn land grant, this rich farming country was given the name "Gwynedd" for the homeland of the earliest settlers and it began as a pastoral village in agricultural Gwynedd Township.

Select the Right Medical Assistant School North Wales PA

North Wales PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the right information 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 addressed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, 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 Graduation. 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, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in North Wales PA.