Medical Assistant Description Elmont NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Elmont New York

Elmont NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Elmont NY, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? Many potential students start by checking out 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, job assistance and internship programs are important issues also. You may want to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Elmont NY nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is ensure that the Elmont NY clinics, hospitals and other medical care 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 health professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are qualified to under New York law, some opt 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

Unlike most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Elmont NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two choices offered for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Elmont NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good choice for those who might not have the time to attend 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 attaining their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened also. But bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be completed in Elmont NY area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your training might be the best choice for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for those who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in getting a position after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Elmont NY medical employers just will not hire 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 examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Elmont NY medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Elmont NY with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should examine when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to ensure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, 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 must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged organizations 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 organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. 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, many prospective Elmont NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Elmont NY area health care providers. They are a great method to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students build relationships within the Elmont health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Getting that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Elmont NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get throughout 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 convenient, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a college to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the school you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Elmont NY, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still have to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Elmont New York?

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

Elmont, New York

Elmont is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City. It is a suburban bedroom community located on Long Island. The population was 33,198 at the 2010 census.

In 1650, Christopher and Thomas Foster purchased a large plot of land. The Foster's land was controlled by Dutch settlers from the Holy Roman Empire, under the Habsburg Dynasty-House of Lorraine (1524). The Foster's were intended to raise cattle, and sheep on their newly settled land, the Hempstead Plains of Long Island. They named this place "Foster's Meadow"—a name which would remain for the next 200 years of the village's history.

By the mid-17th century, ethnic descendants of Sephardi Jews were settling on the Hempstead Plains for Agriculture. Control of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam shifted to England in 1664. This marked the first gradual cultural shift in Foster's Meadow with the establishment of a community of predominantly English Protestant farmers, and their families. In 1683, Long Island was divided into three counties, Kings, Queens, and Suffolk County. Under this new structure, Foster's Meadow was originally part of Queens County. During 1790 George Washington passed through the town while touring to the East on Long Island. The current boundaries of Elmont were decided upon in 1898; at this point, Nassau County was erected, leading to conflict over land, and monies owed as a result of Elmont's boundary shift from Queens.

Select the Right Medical Assistant Training Elmont NY

Elmont NY medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Description. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Elmont NY.