How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Westmoreland New Hampshire
Once you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Westmoreland NH, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Many future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You might decide to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have provided 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 function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.
The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant
The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Westmoreland NH hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:
- Completing insurance forms and filing claims
- Setting and confirming appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
- Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
- Supplying basic support during exams and procedures
While medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are authorized to under New Hampshire law, some prefer 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 Courses
Compared to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Westmoreland NH health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at community and junior colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.
Online Medical Assistant Schools
There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good choice for individuals who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced also. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be carried out in Westmoreland NH area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the ideal choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Options for Medical Assistants
As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for individuals who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Westmoreland NH medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges
Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you must determine which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Westmoreland NH with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to explore when assessing programs. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make sure that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Westmoreland NH employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.
What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.
Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.
Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Westmoreland NH area healthcare providers. They are a great means to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Westmoreland medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.
Is Job Placement Service Supplied? Getting that first job can be a challenging 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 Westmoreland NH area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school 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 broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might 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 increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s essential that the college you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Westmoreland NH, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also need to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Westmoreland New Hampshire?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Westmoreland NH area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Westmoreland, New Hampshire
Once known as Great Meadow, this town was first granted in 1735 by Governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts as Number 2, second in a line of Connecticut River fort towns designed to protect the colonies from Indian attack. This part of the river was a favorite Indian campsite, and the settlers who came beginning in 1741 were several times victims of attack. When the border between Massachusetts and the Province of New Hampshire was fixed (with Number 2 on the New Hampshire side), the town was regranted in 1752 by Governor Benning Wentworth as Westmoreland, named for John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland.[2]
The Park Hill Meetinghouse, built in 1762, has a Paul Revere bell. Considered one of the most beautiful churches in New England, it was moved to its present site by oxen in 1779, and renovated in 1826.[3]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.9 square miles (95.6 km2), of which 35.9 sq mi (93.0 km2) is land and 1.0 sq mi (2.6 km2), or 2.71%, is water. Westmoreland is bounded on the west by the Connecticut River. Hyland Hill, elevation 1,510 feet (460 m) above sea level and the highest point in town, is on the eastern border and although it is now private land, it is a local hiking and hunting destination.
Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant School Westmoreland NH
It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant School Online Accredited. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision 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 selecting the right program you can ultimately start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Westmoreland NH.
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