How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Parker Pennsylvania
Once you have decided to enter the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Parker PA, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? A number of potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes 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 as well. You may want to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help 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 talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.
The Duties of Medical Assistants
The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their function is ensure that the Parker PA clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run 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 responsible for giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners 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 submitting claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Taking vital signs and weighing patients
- Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Giving basic support during exams and procedures
Even though medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices 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 Training Courses
In contrast to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Parker PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and shortest route 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 six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges together with trade 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 courses. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.
Medical Assistant Online Schools
There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good option for individuals who might not have time to attend 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 pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced also. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Parker PA area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training may be the best choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work 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 option for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Parker PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. 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). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.
Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Parker PA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to look at when assessing programs. To assist you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.
Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Parker 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 design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need 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. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.
Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Parker PA area medical providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Parker medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Support Provided? Finding that initial job may be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Parker 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 health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.
How Large are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will receive 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 convenient, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a college to observe what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s essential 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 Parker PA, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also need to schedule any clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Parker Pennsylvania?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Parker PA area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Parker, Pennsylvania
Parker is a city located in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the extreme northwestern portion of the county. The population was 840 at the 2010 census. The city was named for Judge John Parker, a lead surveyor of Lawrenceburg and founder/owner of Parker's Landing, the two villages combined to create Parker.
Parker is sometimes referred to as the "Smallest City in the USA." Parker was incorporated as a city on March 1, 1873, by special state legislation in the midst of the northwestern Pennsylvania oil boom. The new municipality was called "Parker" and made up the earlier villages of Parker's Landing (on the Allegheny River) and Lawrenceburg (on the bluff above the river). Residents assumed that Parker would quickly become a major population center, and at the height of the oil boom, the population of Parker grew to over 20,000. The boom quickly went bust, however, and by the 1880s the "city" returned to its historic small village size -- a population of approximately 1,000.
Parker received national attention again in 2014 when a massive ice jam along the Allegheny River formed and started some minor flooding. The jam was so massive that it attracted tourists to the area, and a local bar even named a drink after the ice jam. The ice jam was severe enough that the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the area in case the ice started melting.[3][4]
Choose the Best Medical Assistant Course Parker PA
It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant To Medical School. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend 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 provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Parker PA.
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