How Long Are Medical Assistant Courses Edgewater NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Edgewater New Jersey

Edgewater NJ medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Edgewater NJ, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? Many potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You might choose to look into several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that task, we have included some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” 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 offered.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Edgewater NJ nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their role is ensure that the Edgewater NJ clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under New Jersey law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and attain 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

In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Edgewater NJ health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about a year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. 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.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Edgewater NJ There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are an excellent alternative for students who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized as well. But bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Edgewater NJ area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the right choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Edgewater NJ medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Edgewater NJ medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Edgewater NJ with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you must look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several good reasons to make certain that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete 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 program is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on 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 Edgewater NJ employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose 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 decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Edgewater NJ area health care providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students establish relationships within the Edgewater medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Landing that initial job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Edgewater NJ area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may 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 likely to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Edgewater NJ, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also need to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Edgewater New Jersey?

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

Edgewater, New Jersey

Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a population of 11,513,[10][11][12] reflecting an increase of 3,836 (+50.0%) from the 7,677 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 2,676 (+53.5%) from the 5,001 counted in the 1990 Census.[21]

The borough's history has featured the founding of the first colony in Bergen County, contribution to the Revolutionary War, a period as a "sleepy, pastoral little town"[22] with resort hotels in the 19th century,[23] industrialization in the early 20th century, and a transition to a rapidly growing residential community in the late 20th century.[24]

Edgewater was incorporated as a municipality on December 7, 1894, from portions of Ridgefield Township as the Borough of Undercliff, based on the results of a referendum that passed two days earlier.[25] The borough was formed during the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone.[26] The borough's name was changed to Edgewater on November 8, 1899.[25][27] The borough was named for its location on the Hudson River.[28]

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Edgewater NJ

Edgewater NJ medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long Are Medical Assistant Courses. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend 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 picking the ideal program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Edgewater NJ.