Medical Assistant Training Eastport NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training Program near Eastport New York

Eastport NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Eastport NY, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Most future students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You may decide to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short 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 Eastport NY nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Essentially their duty is ensure that the Eastport NY hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers 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 practices both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

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

Medical Assistant Education

Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Eastport NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally 2 options available for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, 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 option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at community and junior colleges together with 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 training. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Eastport NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent alternative for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue working full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, many online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be reduced as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be completed in Eastport NY area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your training might 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 Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for those who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Eastport NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are offered as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Eastport NY medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which type of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Eastport 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 factors that you should look at 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 thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make certain that the college you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations 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 one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Eastport NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, ask 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 evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you choose to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Eastport NY area health care providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also help students establish relationships within the Eastport healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Getting that initial job can be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Eastport NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive 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 convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a college to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the program you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Eastport NY, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that might be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Eastport New York?

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

Eastport, New York

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14.0 km2), of which 5.3 square miles (13.6 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km2), or 2.41%, is water.[1]

Eastport dates to the 1730s when a gristmill was built there. It started as two hamlets, Seatuck and Waterville, and in the 1850s applied for a post office by the name of Seatuck. It was refused because it was too similar to Setauket, New York. It was renamed Eastport.[3]

In the first half of the 20th century it was the capital of the production of Long Island ducks, producing 6.5 million ducks from 29 farms a year going to market. At one time, the western portion of Eastport, located in the town of Brookhaven, was called "Seatuck", and the eastern portion, located in Southampton, was known as "Waterville". In the last twenty years, practically all duck farms were phased out and the descendants of the original farmers sold the valuable waterfront property for residential development projects.[4]

Choose the Best Medical Assistant Course Eastport NY

Eastport NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must obtain the right information on available programs before making your decision. 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 discussed in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend 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 in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Eastport NY.