Medical Assistant Course Outline State College PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Program near State College Pennsylvania

State College PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near State College PA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? Many prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You may decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with State College PA nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their function is ensure that the State College PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities 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 facilities both. They are responsible for 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. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are authorized to under Pennsylvania law, some prefer to specialize in a particular 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

Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many State College 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 offered for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about a year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in State College PA There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good option for individuals who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in State College PA area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your education may be the right option for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a position after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential State College PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask State College PA medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to State College PA with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to examine when assessing schools. To assist you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to make sure that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective State College PA employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are looking at offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with State College PA area medical care providers. They are a great means to get hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the State College medical community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Finding that first job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the State College PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator 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 greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a program to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near State College PA, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near State College Pennsylvania?

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

State College, Pennsylvania

State College is a home rule municipality in Centre County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the largest designated borough in Pennsylvania.[4] It is the principal borough of the six municipalities that make up the State College area, the largest settlement in Centre County and one of the principal cities of the greater State College-DuBois Combined Statistical Area with a combined population of 236,577 as of the 2010 United States Census. In the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034 with approximately 105,000 living in the borough plus the surrounding townships often referred to locally as the "Centre Region." Many of these Centre Region communities also carry a "State College, PA" address although are not part of the borough of State College.[4]

State College is a college town, dominated economically and demographically by the presence of the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). Lion Country is another used term to refer to the State College area, the term also includes the borough and the townships of College, Harris, Patton, and Ferguson. When including college and graduate students, State College is the third most populous city in Pennsylvania, after Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

State College evolved from a village to a town in order to serve the needs of the Pennsylvania State College, founded as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania in 1855. State College was incorporated as a borough on August 29, 1896, and has grown with the college, which was renamed The Pennsylvania State University in 1953.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Training State College PA

State College 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. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Course Outline. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend 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 ideal program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in State College PA.