Medical Assistant Training Online Plainview NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant School Program near Plainview New York

Plainview NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Plainview NY, it’s time to select a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? A number of potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues also. 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 college you must finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished several questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Plainview NY nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the Plainview NY clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities where they work run efficiently. Based 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 responsible for 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. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Giving basic support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under New York law, some choose to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Training

Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Plainview NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs generally take about 1 year to complete, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs provided at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. 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 applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Plainview NY There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent alternative for students who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be reduced also. But bear in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be completed in Plainview NY area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your training may be the right option for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good choice for those who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Plainview NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and perhaps 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 exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, for instance the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Plainview NY medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you need to decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Plainview NY with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional factors that you must look at when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, following are some questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to make sure that the program you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Plainview NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must determine which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Offered? As we covered earlier, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Numerous medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Plainview NY area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Plainview medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Landing that first job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Plainview NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also signifies that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a program to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue working full time, it’s important that the college you select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Plainview NY, confirm that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online school, but you will also need to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Plainview New York?

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

Plainview, New York

Plainview is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located near the North Shore of Long Island in the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP as of 2010[update] was 26,217.[1] The Plainview post office has the ZIP code 11803.[2]

Plainview and its neighboring hamlet, Old Bethpage, share a school system, library, fire department, and water district. Law enforcement for the communities is provided by the Nassau County Police Department's, Second Precinct.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.7 square miles (15 km2). Plainview is on the Nassau County side of the border with Suffolk County. On the Nassau side it borders the hamlets of Hicksville, Old Bethpage, Syosset, and Woodbury. On the Suffolk side, its primary border is with Melville, but also touches West Hills.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Course Plainview NY

Plainview NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to acquire the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of schools providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Training Online. But regardless of the kind of credential that you plan 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 evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can ultimately begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Plainview NY.