Medical Assistant Schools East Rockaway NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training School near East Rockaway New York

East Rockaway NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near East Rockaway NY, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You might choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with East Rockaway NY nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Primarily their role is to make sure that the East Rockaway NY clinics, hospitals and other healthcare institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under New York law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and attain 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 Programs

Compared to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many East Rockaway NY health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in East Rockaway NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are an excellent choice for those who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible 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 traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened also. Just bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can usually be performed in East Rockaway NY area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your training may be the ideal choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for those who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a position after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible East Rockaway NY 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 respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 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.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask East Rockaway NY medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you must decide which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to East Rockaway NY with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you must explore when researching schools. To help you with that task, following are some 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 college you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become 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 one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective East Rockaway NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will need to select a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose 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 choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with East Rockaway NY area medical care providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students build relationships within the East Rockaway healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Finding that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the East Rockaway 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 an excellent reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and 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 essential that the college you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near East Rockaway NY, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that will 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 Rockaway New York?

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

East Rockaway, New York

The Incorporated Village of East Rockaway is in the town Hempstead, adjacent to Lynbrook, Hewlett, Rockville Centre, and Oceanside. The primary ethnicities are mainly Italian and Irish. The Waverly Park neighborhood, near the Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Center [1] and along the border with Hewlett, has a sizable Jewish community.

Originally named Near Rockaway, the village began as a shipping and trading center for the south shore of Long Island. The village's location was desirable for ships because of its deep channels inland. Eventually a grist mill was built on the Mill River by Joseph Haviland through a land grant in 1688. The Haviland-Davison Grist Mill, located in Memorial Park, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.[3] Later an oven was purchased to make bread for the surrounding population. The village prospered in shipping and milling over the years, even after several sales of the land.[4]

The village's name was changed in 1869 to East Rockaway. The village was incorporated in 1900, and Floyd Johnson was president. At the time of incorporation the town had a population of 969.[5] Back in the 1960s a student from East Rockaway High School, named Donald Scaglione, attempted to steal the school's bell from the bell tower.[citation needed] Unknowingly the bell weighed too much to carry, even for Don, who was one of the football team's star offensive linemen. The bell was dropped. The Scaglione family was responsible for fixing the bell. The bell tower remains empty as of October 18, 2009.

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Program East Rockaway NY

East Rockaway NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Schools. 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, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in East Rockaway NY.