Medical Assistant Training Program Peekskill NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School Program near Peekskill New York

Peekskill NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Peekskill NY, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the right training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? A number of potential students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You may decide to research several online medical assistant programs as an alternative also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have provided some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Peekskill NY nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their function is ensure that the Peekskill NY hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but may also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms 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 elect to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices 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 Training Programs

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Peekskill NY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges in addition to vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Peekskill NY There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are a good option for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental costs including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be reduced also. But remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be carried out in Peekskill NY area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your education may be the right choice for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent idea for individuals who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in attaining a position after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. A number of potential Peekskill NY medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. 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). To qualify to sit for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Peekskill NY medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you must choose which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those selections have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to Peekskill NY with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, below are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several great reasons to make sure that the school you select is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted organizations for accreditation are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). If your program is not accredited by either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Peekskill NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will need 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 just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose 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 closer to one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about 2 years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Peekskill NY area medical care providers. They are a great means to receive hands-on practical training and experience. They can also assist students establish relationships within the Peekskill medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Landing that initial job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Peekskill NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the healthcare community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much personal instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to furnish increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to monitor a couple of classes before selecting a program to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full-time, it’s imperative that the program you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Peekskill 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 still need to schedule all internships or practical training that will 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 emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Peekskill New York?

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

Peekskill, New York

Peekskill, officially the City of Peekskill, is a city in Westchester County, New York. Peekskill is situated on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from Jones Point. The population was 23,583 during the 2010 census.

This community was known to be an early American industrial center, primarily for its iron plow and stove products. The Binney & Smith Company, now makers of Crayola products, started as the Peekskill Chemical Company at Annsville in 1864. Peekskill's manufacturing base operated well into the late 20th century, with the Fleischmann Company making yeast by-products under the Standard Brands corporate name.[citation needed]

The well-publicized "Peekskill" Riots of 1949 involved attacks and a lynching-in-effigy occasioned by Paul Robeson's benefit concerts for the Civil Rights Congress, although the main assault following the September concert properly occurred in nearby Van Cortlandtville.

Choose the Best Medical Assistant School Peekskill NY

Peekskill NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will furnish the right training. Whether 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 obtain the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed 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 plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training Program. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the ideal program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Peekskill NY.