Certified Medical Assistant Career Patton PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Patton Pennsylvania

Patton PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Patton PA, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the right one? Most future students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You might choose to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Patton PA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Patton PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work operate successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential functions 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 tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the choices offered 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 Programs

In contrast to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Patton 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 generally 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical 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 related field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Patton PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good option for individuals who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized as well. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be carried out in Patton PA area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your education might be the right choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it might also help with initial salary negotiations. Some potential Patton PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Patton PA medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Patton PA with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should explore when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must complete 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 one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Patton PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and get 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 obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about two years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Patton PA area healthcare providers. They are a great method to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also assist students build relationships within the Patton medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Getting that first job can be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Patton PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a program to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Patton PA, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Patton Pennsylvania?

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

Patton, Pennsylvania

Patton is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is 19 miles (31 km) northwest of Altoona, in an agricultural region. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1900, 2,651 people lived here, and in 1910, 3,907 people inhabited Patton. The population was 1,769 at the 2010 census.[3]

Patton is perhaps best known for an important local manufacturer, the Patton Clay Works. The Clay Works were one of the largest clay and brick concerns in the world in the first half of the 1900s. The company manufactured terra cotta products (pipe and tiles), building bricks, and pavers (known as "Patton Pavers") from 1893 until it closed in 1968. Bricks made there were used in the construction of the Panama Canal, and the pavers were used around the Eiffel Tower in France. The products were made from clay excavated from the area.

Patton is located in northern Cambria County at 40°38′4″N 78°39′3″W / 40.63444°N 78.65083°W / 40.63444; -78.65083 (40.634466, -78.650812),[5] in the valley of Chest Creek, a north-flowing tributary of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Ebensburg, the county seat, is 13 miles (21 km) to the south.

Choose the Right Medical Assistant College Patton PA

Patton PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many schools offering 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, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Career. 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Patton PA.