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How to Pick a Medical Assistant School Program near Highland Falls New York

Highland Falls NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the rewarding field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Highland Falls NY, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? A number of prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You may choose to research several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have provided some questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Highland Falls NY nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their role is ensure that the Highland Falls NY hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities 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 tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are qualified to under New York law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and obtain 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 Education

In contrast to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Highland Falls NY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs offered at junior and community colleges as well as technical and vocational 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 clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare 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 related field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Highland Falls NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good alternative for individuals who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized also. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be carried out in Highland Falls NY area medical facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the right choice for you. With the online classes and the practical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for those who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing a position after graduation, but it may also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Highland Falls NY medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among 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 sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Highland Falls NY medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to choose which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Highland Falls NY with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional factors that you should explore when researching schools. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Highland Falls NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to obtaining 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, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Highland Falls NY area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also assist students develop relationships within the Highland Falls health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Getting that first job can be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Highland Falls NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a couple of classes before enrolling in a college to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, 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 Highland Falls NY, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Highland Falls New York?

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

Highland Falls, New York

Highland Falls, formerly named Buttermilk Falls, is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,900 at the 2010 census. The village was founded in 1906. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.

As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 3,900 people, 1,647 households, and 988 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,546.1 people per square mile (1,369.2/km2). There were 1,793 housing units at an average density of 1,630.3 per square mile (629.5/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 70.4% White, 13.0% African American, 2.3% Asian, 0.8% Native American or Alaskan Native, 9.1% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. 18.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,647 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.07.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Highland Falls NY

Highland Falls NY medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Night Classes. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Highland Falls NY.