Medical Assistant Description Pittsburgh PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training School near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Pittsburgh PA, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? Many potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you should ask each of the schools 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 type of training and credentials that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Pittsburgh PA nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their function is to make sure that the Pittsburgh PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work run efficiently. Depending 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 giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals 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 filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the options available 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 Courses

Compared to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Pittsburgh PA health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, 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 normally 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational 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 often have a practical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare 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 Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Pittsburgh PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good choice for individuals who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be completed in Pittsburgh PA area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the ideal option for you. With the online classes 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, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for individuals who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Pittsburgh PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and possibly the most respected 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 thirty 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.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Pittsburgh PA medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Pittsburgh PA with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you need to explore when researching schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many great reasons to verify that the school you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Pittsburgh PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are looking at provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Pittsburgh PA area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students establish relationships within the Pittsburgh healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Finding that very first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Pittsburgh PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the college you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Pittsburgh PA, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania?

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

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh (/ˈpɪtsbɜːrɡ/ PITS-burg) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States, and is the county seat of Allegheny County. As of 2017, a population of 305,704 lives within the city limits, making it the 63rd-largest city in the U.S.[2][5] The metropolitan population of 2,353,045 is the largest in both the Ohio Valley and Appalachia, the second-largest in Pennsylvania (behind Philadelphia), and the 26th-largest in the U.S.

Located at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers, Pittsburgh is known both as "the Steel City" for its more than 300 steel-related businesses and as the "City of Bridges" for its 446 bridges.[6] The city features 30 skyscrapers, two inclined railways, a pre-revolutionary fortification and the Point State Park at the confluence of the rivers. The city developed as a vital link of the Atlantic coast and Midwest, as the mineral-rich Allegheny Mountains made the area coveted by the French and British empires, Virginians, Whiskey Rebels, and Civil War raiders.[7]

Aside from steel, Pittsburgh has led in manufacturing of aluminum, glass, shipbuilding, petroleum, foods, sports, transportation, computing, autos, and electronics.[8] For part of the 20th century, Pittsburgh was behind only New York and Chicago in corporate headquarters employment; it had the most U.S. stockholders per capita.[9] America's 1980s deindustrialization laid off area blue-collar workers and thousands of downtown white-collar workers when the longtime Pittsburgh-based world headquarters moved out.[10] This heritage left the area with renowned museums, medical centers,[11]parks, research centers, and a diverse cultural district.[12]

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Pittsburgh PA

Pittsburgh PA medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Description. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Pittsburgh PA.