Becoming A Medical Assistant Brooklyn NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Choose a Medical Assistant School near Brooklyn New York

Brooklyn NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Brooklyn NY, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you ultimately pick the right one? A number of prospective students begin by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are important issues also. You might choose to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a college you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that process, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your “maybe” list. But before we start that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of a Medical Assistant

medical assistant with Brooklyn NY nursing home patient The responsibilities of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as demanding. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the Brooklyn NY hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities where they work run efficiently. Depending on the type or size of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few 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
Taking blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Supplying general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under New York law, some elect to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the options 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

Compared to many other medical practitioners, medical assistants are not mandated to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Brooklyn NY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are generally 2 options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a certificate or diploma. These programs normally take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as 6 to 9 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 typically 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges as well as technical and vocational schools. They are more expansive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include general education courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They often have a clinical component involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are routinely a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

woman attending medical assistant school online in Brooklyn NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good choice for individuals who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good choice for students who continue to work full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an added benefit, a number of online schools have lower tuitions than the more conventional on-campus options. Supplemental expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies can be lessened also. But remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be completed in Brooklyn NY area health care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your training might be the right option for you. With the online lessons and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for graduates who want to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting employment after graduation, but it may also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Brooklyn NY medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not attained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to apply for the CMA exam, an applicant must be a graduate or will be graduating within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Brooklyn NY medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which type of credential you want 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 procedure of researching medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some prospective students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Brooklyn NY with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifications, they are by no means the only ones. There are a number of additional issues that you should explore when evaluating schools. To help you with that process, below are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the programs you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several good reasons to ensure that the program you choose is accredited. To start with, accreditation helps ensure that the training 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 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 either of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as mentioned previously, many prospective Brooklyn NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges create their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. First, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are considering are preparing their students to take. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will want to enroll in a program focused on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and contrast it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with lower rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Available? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can select a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to obtain an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about 2 years to complete in a junior college or vocational school. Whichever program you decide to enroll in, verify that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Brooklyn NY area healthcare providers. They are a great way to get hands-on practical experience and training. They may also assist students build relationships within the Brooklyn healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Support Supplied? Landing that first job can be a daunting task for medical assistant school graduates unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Brooklyn NY 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 an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also signifies that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classrooms? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will get throughout your training. Smaller classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If practical, try to attend a few classes before enrolling in a school to experience what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue working on a full time basis, it’s essential that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Brooklyn NY, make sure that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online program, but you will also need to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Brooklyn New York?

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

Brooklyn

Brooklyn (/ˈbrʊklɪn/) is the most populous borough of New York City, with a census-estimated 2,648,771 residents in 2017.[1] Named after the Dutch village of Breukelen, it borders the borough of Queens, at the western end of Long Island. Brooklyn also has several bridge connections to the boroughs of Manhattan (across the East River) and Staten Island (across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge). Since 1896, the borough has been coterminous with Kings County, the most populous county in the U.S. state of New York and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, after the county of New York (which is coextensive with the borough of Manhattan).[2]

With a land area of 71 square miles (180 km2) and water area of 26 square miles (67 km2), Kings County is New York's fourth-smallest county by land area and third-smallest by total area, though it is the second-largest among the city's five boroughs.[3] Today, if New York City dissolved, Brooklyn would rank as the third-most populous city in the U.S. after Los Angeles and Chicago.

Brooklyn was an independent incorporated city (and previously an authorized village and town within the provisions of the New York State Constitution) until January 1, 1898, when, after a long political campaign and public relations battle during the 1890s, according to the new Municipal Charter of "Greater New York", Brooklyn was consolidated with the other cities, boroughs, and counties to form the modern City of New York, surrounding the Upper New York Bay with five constituent boroughs. The borough continues, however, to maintain a distinct culture. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves. Brooklyn's official motto, displayed on the Borough seal and flag, is Eendraght Maeckt Maght, which translates from early modern Dutch as "Unity makes strength".

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Training Brooklyn NY

Brooklyn NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the appropriate training. Regardless if 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 must get the right information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have addressed in this article, make sure that the program you decide on is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially important if you plan on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Becoming A Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can subsequently start a rewarding career as a medical assistant in Brooklyn NY.