Ophthalmic Medical Assistant Valley Stream NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Training School near Valley Stream New York

Valley Stream NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Valley Stream NY, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the appropriate training. But just how do you undertake evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately pick the right one? Most potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues as well. You might choose to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects 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 colleges on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Role of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Valley Stream NY nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Basically their duty is to make sure that the Valley Stream NY hospitals, clinics and other healthcare centers where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential duties of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing general support during exams and procedures

Although 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) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Unlike many other healthcare practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Valley Stream NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and shortest path to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about a year to complete, some as little as 6 to 9 months. They are developed 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 usually two year programs offered at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a clinical element involving an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Valley Stream NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are an excellent choice for those who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue working full-time while earning their certificate or degree. As an additional benefit, a number of online programs have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be minimized also. But keep in mind that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can typically be performed in Valley Stream NY area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the best choice for you. Between the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Valley Stream NY medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, such as the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Valley Stream NY medical assistant programs Prior to reviewing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which type of credential you would like to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. Once those choices have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Valley Stream NY with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when researching schools. To assist you with that task, following are some questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make sure that the school you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged organizations 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 agencies, you will not be allowed to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Valley Stream NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification examinations. 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 example, then of course you will need to choose a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously programs with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two paths to obtaining medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a community college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant programs sponsor internship programs with Valley Stream NY area healthcare providers. They are a great means to get hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Valley Stream medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Offered? Getting that first 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 researching provide job placement assistance in the Valley Stream NY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a program has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size can be an indicator of how much personal attention you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to teachers and face to face interaction. If possible, try to monitor a few classes before selecting a college to see what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s essential that the school you enroll in offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Valley Stream NY, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also need to schedule all clinical training or internships that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Valley Stream New York?

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

Valley Stream, New York

The incorporated Village of Valley Stream is inside the southwest part of the town of Hempstead, along the border with Queens. The village is served by the Long Island Rail Road at the Valley Stream station, located at Sunrise Highway and Franklin Avenue. It is also served by the Gibson station at Gibson and Munro boulevards, but only along the Far Rockaway Branch.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), of which 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2), or 0.86%, is water.

In the year 1640, 14 years after the arrival of Dutch colonists in Manhattan (New Amsterdam), the area that is now Valley Stream was purchased by the Dutch West India Company from Rockaway Native Americans (they were a Lenape, or Delaware, band, known by the place where they lived).

Select the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Valley Stream NY

Valley Stream NY medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant school that will furnish the right training. Whether you’re planning to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the right information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make certain that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Ophthalmic Medical Assistant. 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, make sure to ask the questions we have provided in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the best program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Valley Stream NY.