Medical Assistant Certification Online Lake Hopatcong NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Program near Lake Hopatcong New Jersey

Lake Hopatcong NJ medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Lake Hopatcong NJ, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? A number of prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You might want to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have included several questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Lake Hopatcong NJ nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their duty is ensure that the Lake Hopatcong NJ hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some 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 fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

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

In contrast to most other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Lake Hopatcong NJ health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about a year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a clinical 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 related field.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Lake Hopatcong NJ There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent option for individuals who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be minimized as well. But keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be completed in Lake Hopatcong NJ area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education may be the best choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of possible Lake Hopatcong NJ medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. 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 take the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Lake Hopatcong NJ medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Lake Hopatcong NJ with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you need to examine when researching programs. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to verify that the school you select is accredited. To start 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 enroll in 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 program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Lake Hopatcong NJ employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately two years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Lake Hopatcong NJ area healthcare providers. They are a great means to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Lake Hopatcong health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Landing that initial job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Lake Hopatcong NJ area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Lake Hopatcong NJ, make sure that those times are available. 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 practical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Lake Hopatcong New Jersey?

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

Lake Hopatcong

Lake Hopatcong is the largest freshwater body in New Jersey, United States, about 4 square miles (10 km²) in area. Located 30 miles from the Delaware River and 40 miles from Manhattan, New York City, the lake forms part of the border between Sussex and Morris counties in the state's northern highlands region. Lake Hopatcong was produced by damming and flooding of two ponds, known as the Great Pond and Little Pond, and the Musconetcong River, its natural outlet. Historically known as a resort lake for vacationing New Yorkers, it is now a mostly suburban residential lake.

The exact origin of the name Hopatcong is unknown, though it is most commonly attributed to the Lenape Indian word for "stone water," or "stone over water".[1] Some linguists believe "Hopatcong" to be a derivative of the Lenape word hapakonoesson, meaning "pipe stone". One explanation of the origin of the word Hopatcong is that it was a derivation from the Lenni Lenape word Huppakong meaning "honey waters of many coves", but this wording was probably invented at the beginning of the 20th century to stimulate tourism.[2][3][4]

Before the late 1700s, Lake Hopatcong was known by several names, including Great Pond and Little Pond (before flooding into a single lake), Sandhay Sea (circa 1648), Brookland Pond (mid-1700s), and Musconetcong Pond (1769).[1]

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Training Lake Hopatcong NJ

Lake Hopatcong NJ medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Certification Online. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Lake Hopatcong NJ.