Clinical Medical Assistant Training Armonk NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Armonk New York

Armonk NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Armonk NY, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the ideal one? A number of prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You might choose to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Armonk NY nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their role is ensure that the Armonk NY clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing 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
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under New York law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the options 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 Training

Compared to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Armonk NY 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 choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about a year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical 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 practical element involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Armonk NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good choice for students who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened also. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be completed in Armonk NY area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this method of getting your training might be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for those who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting a job after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Armonk NY medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among 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). To qualify to take the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Armonk NY medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many potential students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Armonk NY with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should explore when researching schools. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are many great reasons to verify that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 school is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Armonk NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to acquiring 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 about one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are reviewing provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Armonk NY area health care providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students build relationships within the Armonk medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Supplied? Landing that initial job may be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Armonk NY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical 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 may be an indicator of how much personal instruction you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a few classes before enrolling in a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Armonk NY, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also need to schedule all clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Armonk New York?

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

Armonk, New York

Armonk is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of North Castle, New York located in Westchester County.[1] As of the 2010 census, Armonk's CDP population is 4,330 and it has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.7 km2), of which 6.0 square miles (15.5 km2) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km2), or 1.54 percent, is water. Armonk is well known as being the headquarters of IBM.[2]

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,461 people, 1,172 households, and 995 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 568.9 per square mile (219.8/km²). There are 1,204 housing units at an average density of 197.9/sq mi (76.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 93.38 percent white, 0.61 percent African American, 0.06 percent Native American, 4.16 percent Asian, 0.00 percent Pacific Islander, 0.40 percent from other races, and 1.24 percent from two or more races. 3.76 percent of the population are Hispanic and Latino Americans.[3]

There are 1,172 households out of which 44.5 percent have children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.7 percent are married couples living together, 7.7 percent have a female householder with no husband present, and 15.1 percent are non-families. 13.1 percent of all households are made up of individuals and 6.0 percent have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.95 and the average family size is 3.23.

Choose the Best Medical Assistant College Armonk NY

Armonk NY 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 right training. Whether you’re planning 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 before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges 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, confirm that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Clinical Medical Assistant Training. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Armonk NY.