What Can You Do With A Medical Assistant Degree Wingdale NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Wingdale New York

Wingdale NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Wingdale NY, it’s time to choose a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the ideal one? A number of prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest 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, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You may want to look into several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that process, we have included some questions that you should ask all of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Wingdale NY nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their job is to make sure that the Wingdale NY clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work operate successfully. Based 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 responsible for giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any duty they are authorized to under New York law, some prefer 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 Training

Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Wingdale NY health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially two options available for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about a year to complete, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally two year programs provided at community and junior colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They usually have a clinical component requiring an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Wingdale NY There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are an excellent option for individuals who might not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue to work full time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, some online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be reduced as well. But keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be performed in Wingdale NY area medical facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training might be the best option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for those who want to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing a position after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Wingdale NY medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. 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 take the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Wingdale NY medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must choose which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those selections have been made, you can start the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of students confine their searches to the colleges that are closest to Wingdale NY with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you need to examine when researching schools. To help you with that process, below are some 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 several good reasons to ensure that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you must complete an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 allowed to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Wingdale NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passage Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must determine which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to enroll in 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. Doing this is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can decide to earn an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, verify that the schools you are considering offer the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Wingdale NY area medical providers. They are an excellent way to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students establish relationships within the Wingdale medical community. And as an additional perk, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Landing that initial job may be a challenging task 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 Wingdale NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to offer increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to sit in on a couple of classes before choosing a college to see what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working full-time, it’s important that the school you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Wingdale NY, make sure that those times are offered. You may 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 might be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Wingdale New York?

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

Harlem Valley–Wingdale station

The Harlem Valley–Wingdale station (formerly State Hospital station) on the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line, located in Wingdale, New York. It is adjacent to the Harlem Valley State Hospital. Trains leave for New York City every two hours, and about every 30 minutes during rush hour. It is 69 miles (111 km) from Grand Central Terminal and travel time to Grand Central is approximately one hour, 55 minutes.

The station was formerly known as "State Hospital" and was a flag stop between the 1930s and 1960s.[2][3] It was built to serve the Harlem Valley State Hospital, and was expanded from a simple wooden platform to a shelter with a wood-burning stove. The Wingdale station (originally known as "Wing's station," then "South Dover station") was approximately one half mile north in the hamlet on Dutchess CR 21 (Pleasant Ridge Road). It was located near such hotels as the 1806-built Jackson Wing Inn, and the 1858-built Duell Hotel, the latter of which still stands today. In the post-World War II era, the station was reduced from a station house, to a shelter along the platform. As with most of the Harlem Line, the merger of New York Central with Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 transformed the two stations into Penn Central Railroad stations. Penn Central's continuous financial despair throughout the 1970s forced them to turn over their commuter service to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and abandon service north of Dover Plains. Penn Central continued to provide coal service to the hospital until it was taken over by Conrail, which continued coal service well into the 1990s. The stations were consolidated in 1977 with the State Hospital station being renamed Harlem Valley-Wingdale and the Wingdale stop being discontinued, thus transforming the station into the penultimate station on the Harlem Line,[4] until Metro-North acquired the line in 1983, and re-extended it to Wassaic in 2000.

Enroll in the Best Medical Assistant Course Wingdale NY

Wingdale NY medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re objective is to launch 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 information on available programs prior to making your selection. There are so many colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in What Can You Do With A Medical Assistant Degree. But regardless of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an online or on-campus school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Wingdale NY.