National Registered Certified Medical Assistant Skippack PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training School near Skippack Pennsylvania

Skippack PA medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Skippack PA, it’s time to select a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Many prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors also. You might choose to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have furnished several questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Skippack PA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their duty is ensure that the Skippack PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work operate efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for 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. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Skippack PA health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about a year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Skippack PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good alternative for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue working full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be completed in Skippack PA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the right choice for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in securing a job after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Skippack PA medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. One of 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). In order to sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Skippack PA medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Skippack PA with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to explore when researching programs. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the program you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, 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 organizations, you will not be allowed 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 potential Skippack PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready 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 planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, verify that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Skippack PA area healthcare providers. They are a great method to get hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Skippack healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Getting that first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Skippack PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher 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 Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator 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 furnish increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a few classes before selecting a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the college you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Skippack PA, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will also need to schedule all internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Skippack Pennsylvania?

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

Skippack, Pennsylvania

In 1683, thirteen families from the lower Rhine River arrived at Philadelphia aboard the Concord, on October 6, 1683. These families were primarely linen weavers, but also knew how to farm too. These first German immigrants gave up the homeland of Germany because of religious persecution they experienced as Mennonite and Quakers from the Catholic and Reformed Churches. Upon arriving at Philadelphia, the families were greeted by the representative of the Frankfort Land Company, a highly educated German lawyer, Franz Daniel Pastorius, charged with the authority to make land transactions with the thirteen families. After inspecting different areas of the vicinity of Philadelphia, the families settled on the land that was to become the villages of Germantown, Summerhousen, Crefeld, and Germantownship.

Within approximately twenty years German farmers in the Electorate of the Palatinate began to immigrate to Philadelphia in such numbers that Benjamin Franklin wrote an editorial fearing that Philadelphia would become a German-speaking colony. As the Germantown area became settled, there was a departure of some of the original families of Germantown to an area twenty miles west of Philadelphia further up the Schuylkill, purchasing land from the father in-law of Herman op Den graefe, (an original settler of Germantown) that earlier purchased approximately seven thousand acres. These German Mennonites brought the linen making business to the community, along with their farming skills to the vicinity of Perkiomen Creek and Skippack Creek to a point where travel by boat became impossible because of shallow water. This point is where Skippack Creek crosses Skippack Pike in Skippack Township. The origin of the name "Skippack" came from early German settlers, they originally spelled it Schippach, named after a town of the same name in the Bayern region of Germany South East of Frankfurt.

Skippack Township was originally named "Van Bebber's Township" after Matthias Van Bebber, to whom the original land patent was issued in 1702 by William Penn. The name later changed to "Skippack and Perkiomen Township" until the township was split into two townships. Skippack Township is home to one of the oldest homes still standing in the area, the Indenhofen (De Haven) Farmstead, built in circa 1720. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, as the Warren Z. Cole House.[1] Originally, the Indenhofen Farm consisted of 440 acres (1.8 km2).

Enroll in the Right Medical Assistant Course Skippack PA

Skippack PA medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in National Registered Certified Medical Assistant. 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Skippack PA.