What Is A Certified Medical Assistant Shrewsbury NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Shrewsbury New Jersey

Shrewsbury NJ medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Shrewsbury NJ, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues as well. You may choose to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have included several questions that you should ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Shrewsbury NJ nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Shrewsbury NJ hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run efficiently. Depending on the size or type 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 nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

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

Medical Assistant Education

In contrast to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Shrewsbury NJ health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about one year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics 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 community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a practical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Shrewsbury NJ There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent option for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened as well. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Shrewsbury NJ area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your education may be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, 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 can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Shrewsbury NJ medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Shrewsbury NJ medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Shrewsbury NJ with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to explore when researching programs. 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 selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to confirm that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in 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 one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Shrewsbury NJ employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must determine which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Shrewsbury NJ area medical providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Shrewsbury health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Finding that very first job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Shrewsbury NJ area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a program to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s essential 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 Shrewsbury NJ, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, ask what the policy 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 Shrewsbury New Jersey?

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

Shrewsbury, New Jersey

Shrewsbury is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 3,809,[9][10][11] reflecting an increase of 219 (+6.1%) from the 3,590 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 494 (+16.0%) from the 3,096 counted in the 1990 Census.[20]

Shrewsbury was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 22, 1926, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 11, 1926.[21] The borough's name comes from Shrewsbury, England.[22]

According to the United States Census Bureau, Shrewsbury borough had a total area of 2.200 square miles (5.697 km2), including 2.168 square miles (5.614 km2) of land and 0.032 square miles (0.083 km2) of water (1.45%).[1][2]

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Shrewsbury NJ

Shrewsbury NJ medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in What Is A Certified Medical Assistant. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan 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 evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Shrewsbury NJ.