What Does A Medical Assistant Do Kent NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training Program near Kent New York

Kent NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Kent NY, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most future students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. You may choose to research some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have provided several questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Kent NY nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their function is ensure that the Kent NY hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

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

While medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are qualified to under New York law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices 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 Education

Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Kent NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to complete, a few 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 option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Kent NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online too. They are a good option for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced also. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be performed in Kent NY area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education may be the best choice for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a position after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Kent NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and possibly the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Kent NY medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online from home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Kent NY with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to examine when researching schools. To assist you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to ensure that the school you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 school is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Kent NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you need to find out 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 example, then obviously you will need to choose a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will take approximately two years to complete in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are looking at offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Kent NY area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Kent 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 first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Kent NY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care 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 can 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 offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full-time, it’s essential that the program you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Kent NY, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also have to schedule any internships or practical training that will be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Kent New York?

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

Kent, New York

Kent is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 13,507 at the 2010 census.[3] The name is that of an early settler family. The town is in the north-central part of the Putnam County. Many of the lakes are reservoirs for New York City.

Kent was part of the Philipse Patent of 1697, when it was still populated by the Wappinger tribe. Daniel Nimham (1724–1778) was the last chief of the Wappingers and was the most prominent Native American of his time in the Hudson Valley.

The town was first settled by Europeans in the mid-18th century by Zachariah Merritt and others, from New England, Westchester County, or the Fishkill area. Elisha Cole and his wife Hannah Smalley built Coles Mills in 1748, having moved to that location the previous year from Cape Cod.[4] Coles Mill operated until 1888 when it was submerged under West Branch Reservoir. Around this same time the northeastern part of the county was settled by the Kent, Townsend, and Ludington families, among others. The father of Hannah Smalley and his family moved to Kent about two years before Elisha Cole and his family.[5]

Select the Best Medical Assistant College Kent NY

Kent NY medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering 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 sure that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in What Does A Medical Assistant Do. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Kent NY.