Pediatric Medical Assistant Bronx NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant School Program near Bronx New York

Bronx NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have decided to enter the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Bronx NY, it’s time to select a school that will provide the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating schools so that you ultimately enroll in the best one? Most potential students begin by checking out the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues also. You may decide to take a look at some 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 important qualifications of the colleges you are assessing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you should ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the responsibilities of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Bronx NY nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Basically their job is ensure that the Bronx NY clinics, hospitals and other healthcare facilities where they work run efficiently. Depending 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 tasked with giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Filling out insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and confirming appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Giving basic support during exams and procedures

Even though medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are qualified to under New York law, some prefer to specialize in a specific 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 Training Courses

Unlike most other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, many Bronx NY health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are essentially 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and fastest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs generally take about one year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the basics of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs available at community and junior colleges together with trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a practical element involving an internship with a local healthcare 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 similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Bronx NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs offered online too. They are a good choice for those who may not have the time to attend classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is an especially good option for students who continue to work full-time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an extra benefit, many online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental costs including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be minimized as well. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can usually be carried out in Bronx NY area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the right choice for you. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is a good option for graduates who wish to boost their careers. It will not only help in getting employment after graduation, but it might also enhance preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Bronx NY medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. The most popular and possibly the most highly regarded certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to take the CMA examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, for instance the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Bronx NY medical assistant programs Before you can start evaluating your medical assistant school options, you have to choose which type of credential you would like to attain, 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 covered at the opening of this article, some potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Bronx NY with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must examine when researching schools. To help you with that task, below are some questions that you should ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your final choice.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to confirm that the college you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the training you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you need to complete an accredited program. Two of the approved agencies for accreditation are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). If your program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you plan on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are often not offered for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Bronx NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passage Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then naturally you will want to select a program focused on that certification. Next, ask what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Obviously schools with lower rates are those that you will prefer to eliminate.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to acquire an Associate Degree and get a more comprehensive education that will require about two years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are looking at provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant schools sponsor internship programs with Bronx NY area medical care providers. They are a great means to get hands-on practical training and experience. They may also help students establish relationships within the Bronx medical community. And as an added benefit, they are an advantage on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Finding that first job can be a daunting task for graduating medical assistant students unless they obtain some assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Bronx NY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a school 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 large network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indication of how much individual instruction 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 instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a school to witness what the teaching environment is like and how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the program you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Bronx NY, verify that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also have to schedule all internships or practical training that will be required. Additionally, find out what the protocol is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Bronx New York?

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

The Bronx

The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City, in the U.S. state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; northeast and east of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of Queens, across the East River. Since 1914, the borough has had the same boundaries as Bronx County, the third-most densely populated county in the United States.[2]

The Bronx has a land area of 42 square miles (109 km2) and a population of 1,471,160 in 2017.[1] Of the five boroughs, it has the fourth-largest area, fourth-highest population, and third-highest population density.[2] It is the only borough predominantly on the U.S. mainland.

The Bronx is divided by the Bronx River into a hillier section in the west, and a flatter eastern section. East and west street names are divided by Jerome Avenue—the continuation of Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. The West Bronx was annexed to New York City in 1874, and the areas east of the Bronx River in 1895.[3] Bronx County was separated from New York County in 1914.[4] About a quarter of the Bronx's area is open space,[5] including Woodlawn Cemetery, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo in the borough's north and center. These open spaces are situated primarily on land deliberately reserved in the late 19th century as urban development progressed north and east from Manhattan.

Choose the Best Medical Assistant Training Program Bronx NY

Bronx NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by choosing a medical assistant college that will provide the appropriate 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 lifetime career, you need to acquire the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a decision based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have covered in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by a recognized agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Pediatric Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have made a decision to attend either an on-campus or online school, don’t forget to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by choosing the right program you can subsequently begin a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Bronx NY.