Medical Assistant Overview Shoreham NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant Training School near Shoreham New York

Shoreham NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Shoreham NY, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing schools so that you subsequently pick the ideal one? Many prospective students begin by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You might decide to research some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help 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 talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Role of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Shoreham NY nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Shoreham NY hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many functions of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

Although medical assistants may carry out 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 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 Education

Unlike most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Shoreham NY health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two choices available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually have a clinical component involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Shoreham NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good alternative for those who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online programs have lower tuitions than the more traditional on-campus options. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be reduced also. Just keep in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Shoreham NY area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education may be the ideal option for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for graduates who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in securing a position after graduation, but it may also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Some possible Shoreham NY medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and arguably the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Shoreham NY medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend 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 discussed at the opening of this article, some students confine their searches to the schools that are closest to Shoreham NY with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to examine when evaluating schools. To assist you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the college you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies 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 one of these agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of prospective Shoreham NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take about two years to accomplish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

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

Is Job Placement Help Provided? Getting that very first job can be a difficult task for graduating medical assistant students unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Shoreham NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school 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 wide network of contacts to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention 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 one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to monitor a few classes before enrolling in a school to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Shoreham NY, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical 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 Shoreham New York?

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

Tesla's Egg of Columbus

Nikola Tesla, at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition,[1] demonstrated a device he constructed known as the "Egg of Columbus". It was used to demonstrate and explain the principles of the rotating magnetic field model and the induction motor. It was also used to rotate armatures at great distances and speeds in the first demonstration of wireless power transfer.

Tesla's device used a toroidal iron core stator on which four electromagnetic coils were wound. The device was powered by a two-phase alternating current source (such as a variable speed alternator) to create the rotating magnetic field. The device operated on a frequency of 25 to 300 hertz. The ideal operating frequency was described as being between 35 and 40 hertz. Reproductions of the device are displayed at the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, the Memorial Centre "Nikola Tesla" in Smiljan, the Technical Museum in Zagreb, the Croatian History Museum in Zagreb, in the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe in Shoreham, NY.

Select the Right Medical Assistant Training Shoreham NY

Shoreham NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant program that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re objective is to launch a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, confirm that the program you pick is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Overview. But regardless of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Shoreham NY.