Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Cape May NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Cape May New Jersey

Cape May NJ medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Cape May NJ, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Most prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues also. You may decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Cape May NJ nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the Cape May NJ clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are authorized to under New Jersey law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the options available 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 healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Cape May NJ health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically 2 options provided 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, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as 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 classes. They often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Cape May NJ There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent alternative for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Cape May NJ area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the best option for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for individuals who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a position after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many potential Cape May NJ medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Cape May NJ medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you need to determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. After those choices have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Cape May NJ with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you should examine when evaluating schools. 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 final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many great reasons to make sure that the college you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies 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 either of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Cape May NJ employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get 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 elect to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Cape May NJ area medical care providers. They are a great method to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Cape May health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Getting that very first job can be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Cape May NJ area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a program to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the college you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Cape May NJ, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical 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 Cape May New Jersey?

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

Cape May, New Jersey

Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. One of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations,[20] it is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a year-round population of 3,607,[9][10][11] reflecting a decline of 427 (-10.6%) from the 4,034 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 634 (-13.6%) from the 4,668 counted in the 1990 Census.[21] In the summer, Cape May's population is expanded by as many as 40,000 to 50,000 visitors.[22][23] The entire city of Cape May is designated the Cape May Historic District, a National Historic Landmark due to its concentration of Victorian buildings.

Cape May was recognized as one of America's top 10 beaches by the Travel Channel and its beach was ranked fifth in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium. It is also known as one of the best beaches on the Middle Atlantic coast. [24]

The city was named for the Dutch captain Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, who explored and charted the area between 1611–1614 and established a claim for the province of New Netherland.[25][26] It was later settled by New Englanders from the New Haven Colony.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Course Cape May NJ

Cape May NJ medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering 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, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, 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 Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Cape May NJ.