Medical Assistant Degree Programs Temple PA - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Temple Pennsylvania

Temple PA medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Temple PA, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? A number of future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors also. You may choose to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have furnished several questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Temple PA nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their job is ensure that the Temple PA hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under Pennsylvania law, some choose to specialize in a particular 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 Courses

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Temple PA health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about one 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 alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently 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 related field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Temple PA There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent option for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized as well. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Temple PA area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education may be the right option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Temple PA medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Temple PA medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Temple PA with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you must explore when researching programs. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 exam. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Temple PA employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? 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 shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the schools you are looking at offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Temple PA area healthcare providers. They are a great method to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students develop relationships within the Temple healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Finding that initial job can be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Temple PA area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual 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 teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before enrolling in a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

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 choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Temple PA, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Temple Pennsylvania?

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

Temple Owls football

The Temple Owls football team represents Temple University in the sport of college football. The Temple Owls compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the American Athletic Conference (The American). They play their home games at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Owls were a football-only member of the Big East Conference from 1991 until 2004. Temple was expelled from the league due to a lack of commitment to the football program from university officials. Temple played the 2005 and 2006 seasons as an independent before playing in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) from 2007 to 2011. In March 2012, the Owls rejoined the Big East Conference, with football membership beginning in the 2012 season and all other sports beginning conference play in 2013. That same year, the conference was renamed the American Athletic Conference after several basketball-only schools split off to form a new conference that kept the Big East name. Temple is the last original Big East football member still in the American Athletic Conference, as well as the only former original BCS AQ conference team not to be a part of the power 5 conferences of the college football playoff.

Temple began playing organized football in 1894, a decade after the school was founded. Physical education instructor and basketball coach Charles M. Williams organized an 11-man squad that won their first game against Philadelphia Dental College.[3] For its first few years, the football team played small schools and there are few records of its games.

Select the Best Medical Assistant Training Temple PA

Temple PA medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Degree Programs. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Temple PA.