Short Medical Assistant Programs Franklin NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant School near Franklin New Jersey

Franklin NJ medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to become a part of the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Franklin NJ, it’s time to select a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Most future students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You may want to research a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a college you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are evaluating. And to assist you with that process, we have provided some questions that you should ask all of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the type of training and credentials that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Franklin NJ nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their role is to make sure that the Franklin NJ clinics, hospitals and other medical care facilities 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 responsible for providing direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals but may also be found performing duties in an office or at the front desk. A few of the potential responsibilities 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 tissue and fluid samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any task they are authorized to under New Jersey law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and attain certification. Two of the choices offered 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 most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, a number of Franklin NJ health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically two choices offered for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a diploma or a certificate. These programs usually take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to acquire an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs available at junior and community colleges together with technical and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local medical facility. 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 similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Courses

woman attending medical assistant school online in Franklin NJ There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are a good choice for those who might not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full time while earning their certificate or degree. As an added benefit, a number of online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus options. Supplemental expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened as well. Just remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be carried out in Franklin NJ area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your education may be the best option for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent choice for those who want to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many possible Franklin NJ medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Franklin NJ medical assistant programs Before you can start examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you must decide which kind of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. After those decisions have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, many potential students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Franklin NJ with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should look at when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several great reasons to ensure that the program you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the accepted 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 eligible to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, many potential Franklin NJ employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then obviously you will want to choose a program concentrating 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 ways to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the schools you are reviewing offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Franklin NJ area health care providers. They are an excellent method to obtain hands-on clinical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the Franklin health care community. And as an additional perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Service Offered? Getting that very first job can be a daunting undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Franklin NJ area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indication of how much individual attention you will get during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before choosing a program to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant school while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s important that the school you select offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes at night or on weekends near Franklin NJ, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will still need to schedule all clinical training or internships that will be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you may have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Franklin New Jersey?

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

Franklin, New Jersey

Franklin is a borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 5,045[10][11][12] reflecting a decline of 115 (-2.2%) from the 5,160 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 183 (+3.7%) from the 4,977 counted in the 1990 Census.[21]

Franklin, known as the "Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World,"[22] is located over a rich ore body containing more than 150 minerals, many of them fluorescent and 25 of which are found nowhere else on earth. Settled in the 17th century, the village known as Franklin Furnace after Benjamin Franklin,[23][24][25] developed near iron mines and iron smelting operations located along the Wallkill River. In the early 19th century, zinc deposits in the area began to be developed commercially. For most of the century many small companies mined zinc and iron in the Franklin area. In 1897 all zinc mining efforts merged into the New Jersey Zinc Company, which was a major controlling factor in the development of Franklin. Immigrants from Russia, Britain, Hungary and Poland joined the work force at the mine. The population, 500 in 1897, had swelled to 3,000 by 1913. On March 18, 1913, the Borough of Franklin was incorporated from portions of Hardyston Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 23, 1913.[26]

According to the United States Census Bureau, Franklin borough had a total area of 4.570 square miles (11.835 km2), including 4.498 square miles (11.650 km2) of land and 0.072 square miles (0.185 km2) of water (1.57%).[2][3]

Select the Best Medical Assistant College Franklin NJ

Franklin NJ medical assistant student It’s essential to begin your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re planning to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the appropriate info on available programs before making your decision. There are so many colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Short Medical Assistant Programs. But regardless of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, be sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the best program you can ultimately start a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Franklin NJ.