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How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School Program near Ithaca New York

Ithaca NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Ithaca NY, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of future students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You might want to research several online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that task, we have included a few questions that you need to ask each 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 credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Ithaca NY nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their job is ensure that the Ithaca NY hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work run 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 tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few 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
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any task they are qualified to under New York law, some choose 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) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

In contrast to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Ithaca NY health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at community and junior 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 practical 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.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Ithaca NY There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good choice for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue to work full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced also. But remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Ithaca NY area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education may be the best choice for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Ithaca NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered also, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Ithaca NY medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of potential students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Ithaca NY with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you must look at when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to confirm that the college you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must 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 school is not accredited by one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of prospective Ithaca NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Ithaca NY area healthcare providers. They are an excellent way to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also help students develop relationships within the Ithaca medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Finding that very first job can be a difficult undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Ithaca NY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much individual instruction you will receive throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a college to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the program you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Ithaca NY, confirm that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Ithaca New York?

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

Ithaca, New York

Ithaca /ˈɪθəkə/ is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York. It is the seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca–Tompkins County metropolitan area. This area contains the municipalities of the Town of Ithaca, the village of Cayuga Heights, and other towns and villages in Tompkins County. The city of Ithaca is located on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, in Central New York. It is named for the Greek island of Ithaca.[3]

Ithaca is home to Cornell University, an Ivy League school of over 20,000 students, most of whom study at its local campus.[4]Ithaca College is located just south of the city in the Town of Ithaca, adding to the area's "college town" atmosphere. Nearby is Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3).[5] These three colleges bring tens of thousands of students, who increase Ithaca's seasonal population during the school year. Some students settle in the area after graduation. The city's voters are notably more liberal than those in the remainder of Tompkins County or in upstate New York, generally voting for Democratic Party candidates.

Indigenous people occupied this area for thousands of years. At the time of European contact, this area was controlled by the Cayuga Indians, one of the powerful Five Nations of the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois League. Jesuit missionaries from New France (Quebec) are said to have had a mission to the Cayuga as early as 1657.[8]

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant College Ithaca NY

Ithaca NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to obtain the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Quick Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the type 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 picking the ideal program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Ithaca NY.