Become A Certified Medical Assistant Fast Harrington Park NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Program near Harrington Park New Jersey

Harrington Park NJ medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Harrington Park NJ, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? Many prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided some questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Harrington Park NJ nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their function is ensure that the Harrington Park NJ clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under New Jersey law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options 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 Programs

Compared to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Harrington Park NJ health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about a year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical facility. 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Harrington Park NJ There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent choice for individuals who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced as well. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be completed in Harrington Park NJ area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education might be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for those who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Harrington Park NJ medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. 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 sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Harrington Park NJ medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Harrington Park NJ with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must look at when researching schools. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many good reasons to confirm that the school you choose is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Harrington Park NJ employers will not employ 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 prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Harrington Park NJ area medical care providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Harrington Park healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Getting that first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Harrington Park NJ area and ask 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 wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before selecting a college to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the school you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Harrington Park NJ, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Harrington Park New Jersey?

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

Harrington Park, New Jersey

Harrington Park is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,664,[9][10][11] reflecting a decrease of 76 (-1.6%) from the 4,740 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 117 (+2.5%) from the 4,623 counted in the 1990 Census.[20]

According to the United States Census Bureau, Harrington Park borough had a total area of 2.059 square miles (5.333 km2), including 1.832 square miles (4.745 km2) of land and 0.227 square miles (0.589 km2) of water (11.04%).[1][2]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 4,664 people, 1,592 households, and 1,328 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,545.9 per square mile (983.0/km2). There were 1,624 housing units at an average density of 886.5 per square mile (342.3/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 79.76% (3,720) White, 0.69% (32) Black or African American, 0.02% (1) Native American, 17.43% (813) Asian, 0.19% (9) Pacific Islander, 0.51% (24) from other races, and 1.39% (65) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.49% (163) of the population.[9]Korean Americans accounted for 13.0% of the population.[9]

Choose the Best Medical Assistant School Harrington Park NJ

Harrington Park NJ medical assistant student 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 launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the appropriate information on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Become A Certified Medical Assistant Fast. But regardless 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 supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Harrington Park NJ.