How Long To Get Medical Assistant Certification Nassau NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training School near Nassau New York

Nassau NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Nassau NY, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? A number of prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You might decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The main point is that before you select a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have included several questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Duties of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Nassau NY nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their role is ensure that the Nassau NY hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Giving general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under New York law, some choose 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 Courses

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Nassau NY health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 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 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Nassau NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent option for those who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially 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 lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced also. Just bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Nassau NY area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your education may be the ideal option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for individuals who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Nassau NY medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to sit for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Nassau NY medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Nassau NY with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to explore when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to make sure that the school you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive 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 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 one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Nassau NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, 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 obviously you will want to choose a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are those that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Numerous medical assistant programs offer internship programs with Nassau NY area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to get hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the Nassau health care community. And as an added perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Furnished? Landing that very first job may be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Nassau NY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indication of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the program you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Nassau NY, verify that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will also have to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Nassau New York?

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

Nassau, New York

Choose the Best Medical Assistant Program Nassau NY

Nassau NY medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will provide 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 appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in How Long To Get Medical Assistant Certification. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can ultimately start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Nassau NY.