Medical Assistant Responsibilities Pearl River NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Pearl River New York

Pearl River 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 Pearl River NY, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Many future students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences 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 also. You may want to research some online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Function of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Pearl River NY nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their function is to make sure that the Pearl River NY hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work operate successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the many responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Providing basic support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are qualified to under New York law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, many Pearl River NY health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs provided at community and junior colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Pearl River NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good alternative for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue to work full time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced also. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be completed in Pearl River 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 receiving your training may be the best option for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of potential Pearl River NY medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. Among 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). In order to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Pearl River NY medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you must decide which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at 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, many students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Pearl River NY with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to examine when researching programs. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are many good reasons to make certain that the college you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must 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 either of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you plan on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Pearl River NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will need to enroll in a program concentrating 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 just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to acquiring 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, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Pearl River NY area medical care providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students establish relationships within the Pearl River healthcare community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Finding that initial job may be a difficult task for medical assistant school graduates unless they obtain a little help from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching offer job placement assistance in the Pearl River NY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also suggests 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 instruction you will receive during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before enrolling in a college to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s important that the school you choose provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Pearl River NY, make certain that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also have to schedule all clinical training or internships that might be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Pearl River New York?

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

Pearl River, New York

Pearl River is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located east of Chestnut Ridge, south of Nanuet, west of Blauvelt, New York, and north of Montvale and Old Tappan, New Jersey. The population was 15,876 at the 2010 census.[1]

Pearl River is 20 miles (32 km) north of midtown Manhattan and lies just north of the New Jersey border. It is the first (traveling north) of three New York stops on New Jersey Transit's Pascack Valley Line.

In 1696, Pearl River was originally part of a larger portion of land known as the Kakiat Patent that was granted to Daniel Honan and Michael Hawdon. In 1713, the land was split into north and south plots. After the Revolutionary War, the land was further divided and sold.[3] Pearl River was a portion of land made up of woods and swamps originally called Muddy Creek.[4]

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Pearl River NY

Pearl River NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate 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 must obtain the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays 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, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Responsibilities. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Pearl River NY.