Medical Assistant Night School Shrub Oak NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School Program near Shrub Oak New York

Shrub Oak NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Shrub Oak NY, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately pick the best one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues also. You might decide to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have included a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges 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 training and credentials that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Shrub Oak NY nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Essentially their job is to make sure that the Shrub Oak NY hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work operate 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 tasked with providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

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

While medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are authorized to under New York law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and earn 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

Compared to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Shrub Oak NY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 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 option is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs available at community and junior colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a practical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. 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 related field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Shrub Oak NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent option for students who may not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue working full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies can be minimized as well. Just remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be carried out in Shrub Oak NY area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this method of getting your education may be the best option for you. Between the online classes and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for individuals who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in getting a position after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Shrub Oak NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Shrub Oak NY medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you need to decide which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, some potential students limit their searches to the schools that are closest to Shrub Oak NY with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you need to explore when assessing programs. To help you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about each of the programs you are considering before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make sure that the college you enroll in is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education 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 acknowledged agencies 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 qualified to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Shrub Oak NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passage Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To begin with, you must find out which of the certifications the schools you are reviewing are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to select a program targeting that certification. Second, find out what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, confirm that the schools you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Shrub Oak NY area healthcare providers. They are a great way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Shrub Oak healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Service Provided? Finding that initial job can be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Shrub Oak NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size can be an indicator 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 possible, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a school to see what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides classes that fit your schedule. If you need to attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Shrub Oak NY, make sure that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online college, but you will still have to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Shrub Oak New York?

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

New York State Route 132

New York State Route 132 (NY 132) is a 2.75-mile (4.43 km) state highway located entirely within the town of Yorktown in Westchester County, New York, in the United States. The route acts as a connector between the concurrency of U.S. Route 202 (US 202) and NY 35 in the south and US 6 in the hamlet of Shrub Oak in the north. When the route was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, it continued southeast to the hamlet of Katonah. It was cut back to its current southern terminus in the early 1940s and extended one block northward to its present length between 1968 and 1973.

NY 132 begins at an intersection with the concurrency of US 202 and NY 35 in front of Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in the town of Yorktown. NY 132 proceeds north along Old Yorktown Road, crossing through a residential section of Yorktown. After passing a junction with Meadowcrest Drive, the route takes a turn to the northwest then returns to its northerly progression near Strang Boulevard. Remaining a two-lane residential street through Yorktown, NY 132 passes Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School and turns northwest once again towards more homes and into a partial diamond interchange with the Taconic State Parkway. At this interchange, there is no access from NY 132 to the northbound Taconic, and no access from the southbound Taconic to NY 132.[3]

A short distance northwest of the interchange, NY 132 reaches a junction with the eastern end of East Main Street (unsigned County Route 1309 (CR 1309)). Two blocks north of East Main Street, NY 132 enters a junction with US 6 in the hamlet of Shrub Oak. This junction marks the northern terminus of NY 132, whose right-of-way continues north through Yorktown as Barger Street, connecting to the Putnam County line.[3]

Select the Best Medical Assistant School Shrub Oak NY

Shrub Oak NY medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the right info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as 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 Night School. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend 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 choosing the best program you can ultimately start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Shrub Oak NY.