National Registered Certified Medical Assistant Hempstead NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Hempstead New York

Hempstead NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Hempstead NY, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? A number of prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You might want to research several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have provided some questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short 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 offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Hempstead NY nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their function is ensure that the Hempstead NY hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance 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 possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing general support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any task they are authorized to under New York law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the options 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 Training Courses

Unlike most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Hempstead NY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Hempstead NY There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good option for individuals who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be lessened also. Just remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be carried out in Hempstead NY area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the best choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for graduates who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some potential Hempstead NY medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Hempstead NY medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school options, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the procedure 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 Hempstead NY with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you should explore when researching schools. To assist you with that process, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to confirm that the school you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Hempstead NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to learn which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in 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 about 1 year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Hempstead NY area health care providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students establish relationships within the Hempstead healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Landing that initial job may be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Hempstead 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 suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to attend a couple of classes before choosing a program to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full-time, 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 Hempstead NY, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that may be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Hempstead New York?

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

Hempstead, New York

The Town of Hempstead is one of the three towns in Nassau County, New York, United States, occupying the southwestern part of the county, in the western half of Long Island. Twenty-two incorporated villages (one of which is named Hempstead) are completely or partially within the town. The town's combined population was 759,757 at the 2010 census, which is the majority of the population of the county and by far the largest of any town in New York.

If Hempstead were to be incorporated as a city, it would be the second-largest city in New York, behind New York City; it is more than three times the size of Buffalo, which has long been the state's second-largest city. It would be the 18th-largest city in the country, behind Charlotte, North Carolina and ahead of Seattle, Washington. Hempstead is also the most populous municipality in the New York metropolitan area outside New York City.

The town was first settled around 1644 following the establishment of a treaty between English colonists, John Carman and Robert Fordham, and the Lenape Indians in 1643. Although the settlers were from the English colony of Connecticut, a patent was issued by the government of New Netherland after the settlers had purchased land from the local natives. This transaction is depicted in a mural in the Hempstead Village Hall, reproduced from a poster commemorating the 300th anniversary of Hempstead Village.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Program Hempstead NY

Hempstead NY medical assistant student It’s important 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 planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate information on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, 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 National Registered Certified Medical Assistant. But irrespective 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, don’t forget 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 ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Hempstead NY.