Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Stony Brook NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Stony Brook New York

Stony Brook NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Stony Brook NY, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you go about comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the best one? Many prospective students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You might decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have included a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges 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 type of training and credentials that are available.

The Function of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Stony Brook NY nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their job is ensure that the Stony Brook NY hospitals, clinics and other medical care facilities where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the potential functions of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming 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

While medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under New York law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the choices available 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 Programs

Unlike most other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Stony Brook NY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally two choices provided for a formal education. The first and quickest way to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about a year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They frequently have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical 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 related field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Stony Brook NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are a good choice for individuals who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good solution for students who continue working full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened also. But bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be performed in Stony Brook NY area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of getting your education may be the best option for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in attaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Stony Brook NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not attained accredited formal training or certification. 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). In order to apply for the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Stony Brook NY medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to decide which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. As soon as those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, many potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Stony Brook NY with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you need to look at when assessing schools. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of great reasons to ensure that the college you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 school is not accredited by either of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Stony Brook NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must learn 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 obviously you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, confirm that the schools you are considering offer the type of program you are interested in.

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

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Landing that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Stony Brook 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 medical community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get during your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide greater access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before selecting a college to experience 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 on a full time basis, it’s important that the college you choose offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Stony Brook NY, make certain that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also need to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Stony Brook New York?

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

Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. Begun in the colonial era as an agricultural enclave, the hamlet experienced growth first as a resort town and then to its current state as one of Long Island's major tourist towns and centers of education. Despite being referred to as a village by residents and tourists alike, Stony Brook has never been legally incorporated by the state. The population was 13,740 at the 2010 census.[1]

The CDP is adjacent to the main campus of Stony Brook University, a major research center within the State University of New York, and also The Stony Brook School, a private college preparatory school. It is also home to the Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages and the Stony Brook Village Center, a privately maintained commercial center planned in the style of a traditional New England village.

Stony Brook was first settled in the late 17th century. It was originally known by the native name Wopowog and then as Stoney Brook, with both names likely referring to the interconnected bodies of water at the hamlet's western edge. It began as a satellite community of adjacent Setauket, New York, the Town of Brookhaven's first settlement, and its land was included in the initial 1655 purchase from the native Setalcott tribe.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Program Stony Brook NY

Stony Brook NY medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Regardless if you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must get the appropriate info on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. 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, be sure to ask the questions we have supplied so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Stony Brook NY.