Pediatric Medical Assistant Palisades NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training Program near Palisades New York

Palisades NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to join the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Palisades NY, it’s time to choose a school that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You might choose to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that task, we have provided some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Job of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Palisades NY nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Palisades NY clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work operate efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any duty they are qualified to under New York law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

Unlike many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Palisades NY health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Palisades NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good choice for students who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Palisades NY area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the best option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for graduates who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a job after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Palisades NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply 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 offered also, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Palisades NY medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of potential students limit their searches to the schools that are nearest to Palisades NY with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to explore when evaluating programs. To assist you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to verify that the school you select is accredited. To start with, 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 complete an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Palisades NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the schools you are looking at provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? A large number of medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Palisades NY area health care providers. They are a great way to get hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students build relationships within the Palisades medical community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Getting that very first job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Palisades NY area and find out 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 suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to instructors and face to face interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a few classes before enrolling in a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full time, it’s important that the school you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Palisades NY, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still need to schedule all internships or clinical training that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Palisades New York?

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

Palisades, New York

Palisades, formerly known as Sneden's Landing, (pronounced SNEE-dens) is a hamlet in the Town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of Rockleigh and Alpine, New Jersey; east of Tappan; south of Sparkill; and west of the Hudson River.

The hamlet has no mayor, nor any official legislative bodies. It does, however, have its own library, and post office with the zip code 10964 and served by the 359 exchange in Area Code 845. It is almost entirely residential with the exception of a small industrial area section on the Tappan border. The area commonly referred to as Snedens Landing is located within the eastern portion of Palisades between U.S. Route 9W and the Hudson River.

The hamlet has a registered historic district known as the Closter Road - Oak Tree Road Historic District. The district comprises the area from the north side of Closter Road and south side of Oak Tree Road approximately 1/2 mile west of US Route 9W in Palisades. (List of Registered Historic Places in Rockland County, New York)

Pick the Best Medical Assistant Program Palisades NY

Palisades NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the right information on available programs before making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Pediatric Medical Assistant. But regardless 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 selecting the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Palisades NY.