Registered Medical Assistant Certification Fairfield NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Program near Fairfield New Jersey

Fairfield NJ medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Fairfield NJ, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? Many future students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You may decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have provided some questions that you need to ask each 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 credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Fairfield NJ nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their job is to make sure that the Fairfield NJ 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 responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Supplying basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under New Jersey law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

In contrast to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Fairfield NJ health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs available at community and junior colleges together with 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 courses. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Fairfield NJ There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue to work full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be carried out in Fairfield NJ area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the best choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential Fairfield NJ medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Fairfield NJ medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Fairfield NJ with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you need to explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should 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 ensure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Fairfield NJ employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program concentrating 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 ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get 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 earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are considering provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Fairfield NJ area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Fairfield health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Furnished? Landing that very first job can be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Fairfield NJ area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before selecting a program to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s essential that the program you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Fairfield NJ, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also need to schedule all internships or clinical training that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Fairfield New Jersey?

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

Fairfield, New Jersey

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Fairfield NJ

Fairfield NJ medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective 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 info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Registered Medical Assistant Certification. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Fairfield NJ.