Clinical Medical Assistant Schools East Islip NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Program near East Islip New York

East Islip NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near East Islip NY, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You may decide to take a look at a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have included some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with East Islip NY nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the East Islip NY clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work operate successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under New York law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices available 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

In contrast to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of East Islip NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs available at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma 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 routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in East Islip NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good option for individuals who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit 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, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in East Islip NY area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your education may be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing a position after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible East Islip NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. One of 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 apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask East Islip NY medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to East Islip NY with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you must examine when researching schools. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the program you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must 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 program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential East Islip NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about 2 years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, verify that the colleges you are considering offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with East Islip NY area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the East Islip health care community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Getting that initial job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the East Islip NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to sit in on a few classes before choosing a college to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near East Islip NY, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near East Islip New York?

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

East Islip, New York

Originally referred to as "East of Islip", the name was acquired in 1890 from the estate of William Nicoll, an English aristocrat who purchased the surrounding land in 1683 to erect a family residence. Nicoll's purchase comprised 51,000 acres (210 km2) from the Secatogue Indians, reaching as far as Bayport to the east, Babylon to the west and Ronkonkoma to the north. His mansion, Islip Grange, named after his family's ancestral estate at Northampshire, England, stood near the shoreline of what is now Heckscher State Park.

East Islip, as well as many hamlets along Long Island's south shore, was once an enclave for some of the nation's wealthiest families. Its estates at one time included the Hollins, Gulden, and Knapp estates, among others. An original estate mansion, Brookwood Hall, has passed from its last private owners, the Thorne family (originally of Great Neck during the Dutch colonial era) and now serves as a municipal building for the Town of Islip. The Sullivan estate became the home of the Hewlett School, a private boarding school which closed shortly after the turn of the century. Some estate and early farmlands were donated to the Roman Catholic church and make up the current grounds of St Mary's of East Islip, which includes a private elementary and middle school, in addition to church and other parish buildings. The original Westbrook farm on the boundary between East Islip and Oakdale, near the Bayard Cutting Arboretum, has ceased operations, and its fields are now the home of East Islip Soccer, near the fields set aside for the Little League of the Islips.

Today, modern East Islip is composed of much smaller, yet affluent communities and few estates. Many of these newer communities were built on the land that was once part of former estates that were sold off, most notably the estate of Percy G. Williams. The Moorings, an opulent waterfront guard-gated private community, is one of the hamlet's premier neighborhoods. Other neighborhoods within the hamlet include Deer Run and Country Village as well as the Beecher Estates.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant College East Islip NY

East Islip NY medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based on 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 examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Clinical Medical Assistant Schools. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can ultimately begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in East Islip NY.