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How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training Program near East Meadow New York

East Meadow NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near East Meadow NY, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the right one? A number of prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You might choose to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished several questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with East Meadow NY nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their function is ensure that the East Meadow NY clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work operate efficiently. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any task they are authorized to under New York law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options available 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

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many East Meadow NY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. 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 Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in East Meadow NY There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent choice for individuals who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue to work full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced also. But bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be completed in East Meadow NY area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. Many potential East Meadow NY medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask East Meadow NY medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to East Meadow NY with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to look at when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several great reasons to make sure that the program you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective East Meadow NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, learn 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 programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to obtain an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

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

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Landing that initial job may be a challenging undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the East Meadow NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a few classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the school you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near East Meadow NY, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all clinical training or internships that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

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

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

East Meadow, New York

Its name is derived from being the meadow of Hempstead Plains east of the Meadow Brook (originally a brook, now replaced by a parkway of the same name). Many residents commute to Manhattan, which is 30 miles (48 km) away.

In 1655, two surveyors for Hempstead Town reported that the "east meadow" would be suitable for grazing. The area quickly became a grazing area for cattle and later, in the 18th century, for sheep. The sheep of the East Meadow, NY area provided the country with more than 50% of the United States' wool needs during that time.

During the American Revolutionary War, East Meadow was occupied by British forces when they discovered the vast amounts of livestock herded there, and remained under their control until the end of the war. Two large farms existed in what is now East Meadow: the Barnum farm (Barnum Woods), and the Carman farm. It is rumored that President George Washington spent a night on the Barnum estate during a trip across Long Island in 1790. A toll booth was operated near the Carman homestead on the Hempstead Turnpike.

Choose the Right Medical Assistant School East Meadow NY

East Meadow NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Top Medical Assistant Programs. 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, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in East Meadow NY.