Medical Assistant Certification Programs Near Me Somerdale NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

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

Somerdale NJ medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Somerdale NJ, it’s time to select a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the best one? Most prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences 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 critical issues as well. You may want to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Somerdale NJ nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their duty is to make sure that the Somerdale NJ clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

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

Even though medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are authorized to under New Jersey law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the choices 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 Training

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Somerdale NJ health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical component involving 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Somerdale NJ There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent option for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened also. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be completed in Somerdale NJ area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education may be the right option for you. Between the online courses and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for those who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. Many potential Somerdale NJ medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Somerdale NJ medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Somerdale NJ with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you must examine when researching schools. To assist you with that task, following 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 College Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the school you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must complete 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 one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Somerdale NJ employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Of course schools with low rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive 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 elect to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take about 2 years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, confirm that the colleges you are looking at provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

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

Is Job Placement Service Provided? Landing that first job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Somerdale NJ area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size can 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 prone to furnish greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a school to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the college you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Somerdale NJ, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that might be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Somerdale New Jersey?

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

Somerdale, New Jersey

Somerdale is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 5,151,[8][9][10] reflecting a decline of 41 (-0.8%) from the 5,192 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 248 (-4.6%) from the 5,440 counted in the 1990 Census.[19]

The Borough of Somerdale was created on April 23, 1929, from Clementon Township, one of seven municipalities created from the now-defunct township, and one of five new municipalities (including Hi-Nella Borough, Lindenwold Borough, Pine Hill Borough and Pine Valley Borough) created on that same date.[20]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 5,151 people, 2,026 households, and 1,345 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,714.0 per square mile (1,434.0/km2). There were 2,158 housing units at an average density of 1,556.0 per square mile (600.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 68.20% (3,513) White, 18.99% (978) Black or African American, 0.08% (4) Native American, 6.00% (309) Asian, 0.02% (1) Pacific Islander, 3.07% (158) from other races, and 3.65% (188) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.19% (422) of the population.[8]

Pick the Best Medical Assistant Program Somerdale NJ

Somerdale NJ medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Certification Programs Near Me. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision 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 best program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Somerdale NJ.