Certified Medical Assistant Program Brentwood NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School near Brentwood New York

Brentwood NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Brentwood NY, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Most prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest 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 may choose to take a look at some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished several questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Brentwood NY nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Brentwood NY clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under New York law, some choose to specialize in a particular area and obtain certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training Programs

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Brentwood NY health care employers would rather 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 way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about a year to finish, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts 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 often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Brentwood NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are an excellent option for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced as well. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be performed in Brentwood NY area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the right choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve 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 individuals who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Brentwood NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among 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 sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Brentwood NY medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Brentwood NY with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should look at when researching programs. To help you with that process, below are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make certain that the school you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted agencies 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 allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Brentwood NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to select 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 those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately two years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, verify that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? A large number of medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Brentwood NY area medical care providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students build relationships within the Brentwood healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Finding that first job may be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Brentwood NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? 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 offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the school you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Brentwood NY, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that might be required. Also, find out what the protocol 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 Brentwood New York?

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

Brentwood, New York

On March 21, 1851, it became the utopian community named Modern Times. The colony was established on 750 acres (3.0 km2) of land by Josiah Warren and Stephen Pearl Andrews. In 1864, it was renamed Brentwood after the town of Brentwood, Essex, in England.

By contract, all the land in the colony was bought and sold at cost, with 3 acres (12,000 m2) being the maximum allowable lot size. The community was said to be based on the idea of individual sovereignty and individual responsibility. Individuals were encouraged to pursue their self-interest as they saw fit. All products of labor were considered private property. The community had a local private currency based upon labor exchange in order to trade goods and services (see Mutualism (economic theory)). All land was private property, with the exception of alleys which were initially considered common property but later converted to private property. Initially, no system of authority existed in the colony; there were no courts, jails or police. This appears to have given some credence to Warren's theories that the most significant cause of violence in society was most attributable to policies and law which did not allow complete individuality in person and property. However, the modest population of the colony might be considered a factor in this characteristic. The Civil War, as well as new residents that did not share the colony's philosophy, are said to have contributed to its eventual dissolution. Almost all of the original buildings that existed in Modern Times have been destroyed, aside from two Octagon houses,[where? — see talk page]the original schoolhouse and a residence.[3]

During the first half of the 20th century, Brentwood was home to the Ross Health Resort Onehtah. Managed by Dr. William H. Ross, Onehtah was a place where a person could escape the pollution of the city. It was thought that the smell of pine needles brought a person good health.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Brentwood NY

Brentwood NY medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re planning to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Program. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Brentwood NY.