Good Medical Assistant Schools Oakdale PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School Program near Oakdale Pennsylvania

Oakdale 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 Oakdale PA, it’s time to select a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the right one? Most prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You might choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an option 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 important qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Oakdale PA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Oakdale PA clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work operate 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 tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Education

Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Oakdale PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical 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 frequently have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Oakdale PA There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent option for those who might not have the 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 working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized also. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be carried out in Oakdale PA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your training may be the ideal option for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some potential Oakdale PA medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and perhaps 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 examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Oakdale PA medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many prospective students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Oakdale PA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to look at when researching programs. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many good reasons to make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Oakdale PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. 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 program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Oakdale PA area medical care providers. They are a great means to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students develop relationships within the Oakdale healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Getting that very first job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Oakdale PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might 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 prone to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Oakdale PA, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also have to schedule any internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Oakdale Pennsylvania?

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

Oakdale, Pennsylvania

School tax millage rate- The West Allegheny SD (shared with Findlay Twp., North Fayette Twp. and Oakdale Borough) in 2017 was 18.51. This ranked 34th highest/most expensive out of Allegheny County's 45 school districts, between Avonworth SD (34th highest) and Quaker Valley SD (36th highest).[7]

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 1,551 people, 604 households, and 445 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,956.0 people per square mile (1,151.6/km²). There were 640 housing units at an average density of 1,219.8 per square mile (475.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.19% White, 0.90% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.39% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.

There were 604 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.

Select the Best Medical Assistant Program Oakdale PA

Oakdale PA medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Good Medical Assistant Schools. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Oakdale PA.