Medical Assistant Associate Degree Burlington NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Burlington New Jersey

Burlington NJ medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Burlington NJ, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Most potential students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate 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 factors also. You might decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you need to ask all of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Burlington NJ nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their role is to make sure that the Burlington NJ hospitals, clinics and other medical care institutions where they work run successfully. 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 support to the physicians, nurses and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible functions of a medical assistant include:

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

Although medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under New Jersey law, some prefer to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the choices offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Burlington NJ health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two options provided for a formal education. The first and fastest way to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to obtain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They usually have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical practice. Associate Degrees are routinely 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Burlington NJ There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are an excellent alternative for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good alternative for students who continue working full time while attaining their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses including those for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized also. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be performed in Burlington NJ area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your education might be the ideal option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent option for individuals who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in attaining employment after graduation, but it can also help with initial salary negotiations. Some possible Burlington NJ medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and perhaps the most respected 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 have graduated or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, including the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Burlington NJ medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which kind of credential you would like to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. After those choices have been made, you can begin the process of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Burlington NJ with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional factors that you must look at when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, following are some questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several good reasons to make certain that the program you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure 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 acknowledged 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 qualified to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are frequently not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many prospective Burlington NJ employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to find out which of the certifications the schools you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will need to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the methods to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to one year. Or you can elect to earn an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require approximately 2 years to finish in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges offer internship programs with Burlington NJ area medical care providers. They are a great method to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They can also assist students develop relationships within the Burlington health care community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Assistance Provided? Finding that initial job can be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they have some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Burlington NJ area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a higher job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has a good reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Big are the Classes? Class size might be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get during your training. Smaller 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 convenient, try to attend a couple of classes before selecting a college to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work on a full time basis, it’s important that the program you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Burlington NJ, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still have to schedule any clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Burlington New Jersey?

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

Burlington, New Jersey

Burlington is a city in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 9,920,[10][11][12] reflecting an increase of 184 (+1.9%) from the 9,736 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 99 (−1.0%) from the 9,835 counted in the 1990 Census.[21]

Burlington was first incorporated on October 24, 1693, and was reincorporated by Royal charter on May 7, 1733. After American independence, the city was incorporated by the State of New Jersey on December 21, 1784. On March 14, 1851, the city was reincorporated and enlarged with portions of the surrounding township.[22]

Burlington was originally the county seat of Burlington County but in 1796, as the population had been increasing to the east away from the Delaware River, the county seat was moved to Mount Holly Township, a more central location.[23]

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Course Burlington NJ

Burlington NJ medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you need to get the right info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Associate Degree. But regardless of the kind 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 provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the ideal program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Burlington NJ.