Clinical Medical Assistant Oceanside NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Oceanside New York

Oceanside NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to join the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Oceanside NY, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? A number of prospective students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important factors as well. You may decide to look into a few 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 pertinent aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to assist you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you should ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are available.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Oceanside NY nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their job is ensure that the Oceanside NY clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are authorized to under New York law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the options available are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Compared to most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Oceanside NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed 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 as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They frequently have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Oceanside NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good alternative for individuals 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 choice for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced also. But keep in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be carried out in Oceanside NY area health care facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your education might be the ideal choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything needed 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 an excellent idea for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it can also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Oceanside NY medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and perhaps 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 exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Oceanside NY medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Oceanside 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 considerations that you should explore when researching schools. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to confirm that the program you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete 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 one of these agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Oceanside NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to choose a program targeting that certification. Second, ask what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two paths to getting 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, although the average is about one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are considering provide the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Oceanside NY area healthcare providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students build relationships within the Oceanside healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Finding that first job can be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Oceanside NY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program 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 wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention 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 face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s imperative that the school you choose offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Oceanside NY, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Oceanside New York?

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

Oceanside, New York

Originally known as South Bay, the English government established a township there in 1674 called Christian Hook, basing the name on the predominant religious affiliation of colonists in the area. Land development proceeded rapidly, and oyster sales took their place as a dominant force, with the local business "Mott's Landing" becoming a favorite place to buy oysters.

In the nineteenth century, the town residents decided that "Oceanville" sounded better than "Christian Hook": it was "Oceanville Oysters" that sold, and in 1864, the new name became official. However, there was already an Oceanville in New York, so "Ocean Side," as two words, was adopted as the town's name in 1890 (this despite it not actually fronting the Atlantic Ocean, which is located a few miles to the south. It is separated from the ocean by Reynolds Channel and other marsh islands, as well as the Long Beach Barrier Island).

The Oceanside Fire Department [2] was established in 1902. Columbia Engine Co. #1, an old firehouse, still exists, and is located at the southwest corner of the triangle where Lincoln Avenue meets Long Beach Road.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Training Oceanside NY

Oceanside NY medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re goal is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Clinical Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided 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 choosing the ideal program you can ultimately start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Oceanside NY.