How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School Program near Parishville New York
Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Parishville NY, it’s time to select a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately pick the right one? A number of future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues as well. You may decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have provided several questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are offered.
The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants
The role of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their role is to make sure that the Parishville NY clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers 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 facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:
- Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
- Setting and verifying appointments
- Weighing and taking patients vital signs
- Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
- Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
- Providing basic support during exams and procedures
Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under New York law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and attain 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 Training Courses
Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Parishville NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Colleges
There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent choice for individuals who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced also. Just bear in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be completed in Parishville NY area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the best choice for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.
Certification Programs for Medical Assistants
As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good choice for graduates who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining a position after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Parishville NY medical employers just 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) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to sit for the CMA exam, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.
Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools
Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to determine which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Parishville NY with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when researching programs. To assist you with that process, below are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.
Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are several good reasons to ensure that the program you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must 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. Additionally, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Parishville NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.
What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Next, find out what the school’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. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.
Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain 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 choose to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately two years to complete in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.
Are Internships Available? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Parishville NY area medical providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Parishville healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.
Is Job Placement Service Offered? Getting that initial job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Parishville NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.
How Big are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Smaller 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 practical, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a college to experience what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.
Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the college you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Parishville NY, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online school, but you will still have to schedule all internships or clinical training that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Parishville New York?
If you are considering attending a medical assistant school in the Parishville NY area, following is some background information that may be both interesting and useful regarding your future campus location.
Parishville, New York
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 101.4 square miles (263 km2), of which, 98.2 square miles (254 km2) of it is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2) of it (3.20%) is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,049 people, 797 households, and 564 families residing in the town. The population density was 20.9 people per square mile (8.1/km²). There were 1,204 housing units at an average density of 12.3 per square mile (4.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.98% White, 0.05% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population.[2]
There were 797 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.02.[2]
Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant School Parishville NY
It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re objective is 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 acquire the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many schools offering 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 certain that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Becoming A Medical Assistant. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan 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 supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Parishville NY.
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