Medical Assistant Colleges Clifton NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Clifton New Jersey

Clifton NJ medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Clifton NJ, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the right one? Many potential students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You might decide to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have included several questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Clifton NJ nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Clifton NJ clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers 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 physicians, nurses and other health professionals but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

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

While medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are authorized to under New Jersey law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the options 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 Courses

In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Clifton NJ health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Clifton NJ There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good alternative for individuals who may not have time to go to 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 attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened also. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Clifton NJ area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your education may be the ideal option for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting a job after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Many potential Clifton NJ medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Clifton NJ medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Clifton NJ with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to explore when assessing programs. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make certain that the college you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Clifton NJ employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Clifton NJ area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Clifton healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Landing that initial job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Clifton NJ area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indicator 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 offer greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just 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 offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Clifton NJ, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Clifton New Jersey?

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

Clifton, New Jersey

Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136,[10][12][13] retaining its position as the state's 11th-largest municipality,[11] as the population increased by 5,464 (+6.9%) from the 78,672 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 6,930 (+9.7%) from the 71,742 counted in the 1990 Census.[22]

Clifton was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 26, 1917, replacing Acquackanonk Township, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier.[23] Clifton is listed under five different ZIP Codes (07011 Main Avenue, 07012 Allwood, 07013, 07014 Delawanna and 07015).[24]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 11.397 square miles (29.518 km2), including 11.260 square miles (29.164 km2) of land and 0.137 square miles (0.355 km2) of water (1.20%).[2][3]

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant School Clifton NJ

Clifton NJ medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Colleges. But irrespective of the type 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 subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Clifton NJ.