Medical Assistant Job Description Pompton Lakes NJ - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Program near Pompton Lakes New Jersey

Pompton Lakes NJ medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to enter the rewarding profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Pompton Lakes NJ, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing colleges so that you ultimately enroll in the right one? Most prospective students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the lowest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical factors also. You might choose to look into a few online medical assistant programs as an option also (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you should ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are offered.

The Job of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Pompton Lakes NJ nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Primarily their function is ensure that the Pompton Lakes NJ hospitals, clinics and other medical care centers where they work run successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative 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. Some of the possible duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue samples
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing general support during exams and procedures

Although medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under New Jersey law, some prefer to specialize in a particular 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 Education

In contrast to most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Pompton Lakes NJ health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 choices available for a formal education. The first and quickest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to earn an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs provided at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical element involving an internship with a local healthcare practice. 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 Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Pompton Lakes NJ There are many accredited medical assistant programs offered online as well. They are an excellent option 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 to work full-time while pursuing their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, some online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Supplemental expenses such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be lessened also. But remember that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be fulfilled, but they can often be completed in Pompton Lakes NJ area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on-campus, then this mode of receiving your training might be the right choice for you. Between the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is a good option for those who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Pompton Lakes NJ medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. The most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA examination, an applicant must be a graduate or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are offered also, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Pompton Lakes NJ medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. After those selections have been made, you can start the procedure of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the opening of this article, a number of potential students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Pompton Lakes NJ with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you should examine when evaluating programs. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are several good reasons to make certain that the program you select is accredited. To begin with, 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 need to enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many potential Pompton Lakes NJ employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools create their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you must determine which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. This is one of the methods to help assess the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Available? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to getting medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing offer the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Pompton Lakes NJ area health care providers. They are a great means to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Pompton Lakes healthcare community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Finding that very first job can be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are interviewing provide job placement assistance in the Pompton Lakes NJ area and find out what their placement rate is. If a school has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classrooms? Class size might be an indication of how much personal attention you will receive throughout 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 possible, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a program to witness 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 program you choose provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Pompton Lakes NJ, verify that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will still have 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 because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Pompton Lakes New Jersey?

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

Pompton Lakes, New Jersey

Pompton Lakes is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 11,097,[11][12][13] reflecting an increase of 457 (+4.3%) from the 10,640 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 101 (+1.0%) from the 10,539 counted in the 1990 Census.[23]

Pompton Lakes was formed as a borough on February 26, 1895, from portions of Pompton Township, based on the results of a referendum held three days earlier.[24] Pompton Lakes was the first borough to be formed in Passaic County, as part of the "boroughitis" that had struck the state at the time. The newly formed borough did not acquire territory from more than one township, which would have entitled Pompton Lakes to a seat on the Board of chosen freeholders.[25] The borough was named for the Pompton people, a sub-tribe of Native Americans who lived in the area.[26]

An outer-ring suburb of New York City, Pompton Lakes is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Midtown Manhattan. From the higher mountains in and around the borough one can see the New York skyline. Three rivers, the Ramapo, Pequannock and Wanaque, run through the borough, which historically provided much of the energy for various industries in the borough. In the mid-20th Century, Pompton Lakes was a local shopping destination, but lost its status as shopping malls opened in the area in the 1970s and 1980s.

Choose the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Pompton Lakes NJ

Pompton Lakes NJ medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to get the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering training nowadays that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Job Description. But irrespective 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, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Pompton Lakes NJ.