Medical Assistant Duties Kings Park NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Kings Park New York

Kings Park NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Kings Park NY, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? A number of prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors also. You may choose to look into some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have included a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Kings Park NY nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their job is to make sure that the Kings Park NY clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work run successfully. Depending on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found working in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under New York law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and earn certification. Two of the options available 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

Compared to many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Kings Park NY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about one year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. 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 similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Kings Park NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good option for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good alternative for students who continue to work full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be performed in Kings Park NY area medical facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education may be the ideal option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for those who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a position after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Kings Park NY medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among 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). In order to apply for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Kings Park NY medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. As soon as those choices have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Kings Park NY with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to look at when researching schools. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make sure that the college you enroll in is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 eligible 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 finally, as previously mentioned, many prospective Kings Park NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Offered? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can decide to acquire 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 decide to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are looking at offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Kings Park NY area healthcare providers. They are a great means to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They can also help students develop relationships within the Kings Park healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Landing that very first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Kings Park NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual attention you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to provide increased access to teachers and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a college to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the school you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Kings Park NY, verify that those times are offered. You may 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 will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Kings Park New York?

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

Kings Park, New York

Kings Park is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Smithtown, Suffolk County, New York, United States, on Long Island. The population was 17,282 as of the 2010 census.[1] It is an unincorporated hamlet of Smithtown, New York

It is bordered by Nissequogue to its east across the Nissequogue River, by Fort Salonga to its west, by Commack to its southwest, and by the hamlet of Smithtown to its southeast. Kings Park is noted for its schools, numerous parks, and natural environment. Its relative tranquility prompted it to be the site of the Kings Park Psychiatric Center instead of New York City.[citation needed]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.6 square miles (17.1 km2), of which 6.2 square miles (16.1 km2) is land and 0.39 square miles (1.0 km2), or 5.93%, is water.[1]

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Program Kings Park NY

Kings Park NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the right training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Duties. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend 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 so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Kings Park NY.