Certified Medical Assistant Schools Salford PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training School near Salford Pennsylvania

Salford PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Salford PA, it’s time to select a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? A number of potential students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You might choose to look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Salford PA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their function is to make sure that the Salford PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many functions 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 instruments and rooms for doctors
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and attain 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

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Salford PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Salford PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent alternative for those 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 solution for students who continue to work full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Salford PA area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your training may be the right choice for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in getting a position after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Salford PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available 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 Salford PA medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you need to determine which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Salford PA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must examine when evaluating schools. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several good reasons to ensure that the program you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Salford 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 schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately two years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, confirm that the schools you are considering provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Salford PA area medical providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Salford health care community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Getting that initial job may be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Salford PA area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the college you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Salford PA, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Salford Pennsylvania?

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

Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Lower Salford is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania located one mile west of the Lansdale exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (exit 31). It is centered on the intersection of Route 63 (Main St), and Route 113 (Harleysville Pike).

The township has a total area of 14.5 square miles (37.5 km2), of which, 14.4 square miles (37.3 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2) of it (0.41%) is water. The East Branch Perkiomen Creek and Skippack Creek are tributaries of the Perkiomen Creek draining the township.

Lower Salford was originally part of the larger Salford Township, until, in March 1741 Jacob Reiff petitioned the Court of Quarter Sessions of Philadelphia County to split the Township into what are now called Lower Salford, Upper Salford, Marlborough, and Franconia Townships. Lower Salford contains the villages of Harleysville, Lederach, Mainland, and Vernfield.

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Course Salford PA

Salford PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Schools. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can ultimately start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Salford PA.