Medical Assistant Career Long Beach NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Long Beach New York

Long Beach NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Long Beach NY, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You may want to look into a few 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 qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to assist you with that process, we have provided some 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 kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Long Beach NY nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their job is to make sure that the Long Beach NY clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions 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 providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under New York law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices 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 Courses

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Long Beach NY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Long Beach NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online also. They are a good option for those who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced also. But remember that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Long Beach NY area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the right option for you. Between the online lessons and the practical 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 individuals who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Long Beach 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 respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Long Beach NY medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school options, you have to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can start the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, some students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Long Beach NY with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to examine when assessing schools. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many great reasons to ensure that the college you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to 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 program is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Long Beach NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to getting 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, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can opt to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to pursue, make sure that the schools you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Long Beach NY area health care providers. They are a great way to receive hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students build relationships within the Long Beach medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Finding that initial job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Long Beach NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a college to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

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

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Long Beach New York?

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

Long Beach, New York

Long Beach is a city in Nassau County, New York, United States. Just south of Long Island, it is located on Long Beach Barrier Island, which is the westernmost of the outer barrier islands off Long Island's South Shore. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 33,275. It was incorporated in 1922,[3] and is nicknamed The City By the Sea (as seen in Latin on its official seal). The city of Long Beach is surrounded by Reynolds Channel to the north, east and west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. As of January 1, 2018, Michael Tangney is the acting city manager, a position appointed by the city council. It has been Democratic for many years.[4]

Long Beach's first inhabitants were the Algonquian-speaking Rockaway Indians, who sold the area to English colonists in 1643. While the barrier island was used by baymen and farmers, for fishing and harvesting salt hay, no one lived there year-round for more than two centuries.

Austin Corbin, a builder from Brooklyn, was the first to attempt to develop the island as a resort. He formed a partnership with the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to finance the New York and Long Beach Railroad Co., which laid track from Lynbrook to Long Beach in 1880. That same year, Corbin opened Long Beach Hotel, a row of 27 cottages along a 1,100-foot (340 m) strip of beach, which he claimed was the world's largest hotel.[5] In its first season, the railroad brought 300,000 visitors to Long Island. By the next spring, tracks had been laid the length of the island, but they were removed in 1894 after repeated washouts from winter storms.

Pick the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Program Long Beach NY

Long Beach NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days 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 choose is accredited by a recognized 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 Career. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Long Beach NY.