Medical Assistant Requirements Elmsford NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Enroll In a Medical Assistant Training Program near Elmsford New York

Elmsford NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to enter the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Elmsford NY, it’s time to select a school that will furnish the proper training. But just how do you approach comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the right one? Many potential students start by evaluating the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical factors as well. You may want 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 program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have included several questions that you should ask all of the colleges on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Elmsford NY nursing home patient The function of a medical assistant can be diverse as well as challenging. Basically their role is ensure that the Elmsford NY hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work run efficiently. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with giving direct assistance 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 many duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any activity they are qualified to under New York law, some prefer to specialize in a specific area and obtain certification. Two of the options 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

Compared to many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, many Elmsford NY 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 options available for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a certificate or diploma. These programs typically take about one 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 obtain an Associate Degree, which are usually two year programs offered at community and junior colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more comprehensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They frequently have a clinical element involving an internship with a local medical facility. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Colleges

woman attending medical assistant school online in Elmsford NY There are a number of accredited medical assistant programs accessible online as well. They are an excellent option for students who may not have time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good option for students who continue to work full time while attaining their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on-campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be performed in Elmsford NY area health care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this mode of receiving your education may be the ideal choice for you. With the online lessons and the practical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As stated previously, becoming certified is not a legal requirement, but is a good idea for graduates who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a job after graduation, but it may also help with initial salary negotiations. Many potential Elmsford NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and possibly 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 be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are offered as well, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are provided by the NHA.

Questions to Ask Medical Assistant Colleges

Questions to ask Elmsford NY medical assistant programs Prior to assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, you must determine which kind of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on-campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, some students restrict their searches to the schools that are nearest to Elmsford NY with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to examine when researching programs. To help you with that task, following are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the programs you are thinking about before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are a number of good reasons to make sure that the college you enroll in is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved 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 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 previously mentioned, a number of potential Elmsford NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant schools develop their programs to ready students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the schools you are considering are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then of course you will need to select a program concentrating on that certification. Second, ask what the program’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 programs with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Programs are Available? As we previously covered, there are generally two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, although the average is about 1 year. Or you can elect to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a more comprehensive education that will take about two years to complete in a community college or trade school. Whatever program you choose to pursue, make sure that the colleges you are reviewing provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Offered? A large number of medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Elmsford NY area medical care providers. They are an excellent method to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They may also help students develop relationships within the Elmsford healthcare community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Landing that very first job may be a challenging undertaking for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Elmsford 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 an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classes? Class size can be an indication of how much individual attention you will receive throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more prone to offer increased access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before selecting a program to observe what the teaching environment is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant school while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the college you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to go to classes at night or on weekends near Elmsford NY, verify that those times are offered. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or clinical training that might be required. Also, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss because of work, illness or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Elmsford New York?

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

Elmsford, New York

Elmsford is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. Roughly one mile square, the village is fully contained within the borders of the town of Greenburgh. As of the 2010 census, the population of Elmsford was 4,664.[2]

The area was known from colonial times as "Storm's Bridge" and later, "Hall's Corners", names derived from the principal landowners of the times. In 1870, the growing village was officially renamed "Elmsford" in honor of a local landmark, a giant elm tree (since deceased). The names Elmsford and Storm's Bridge are reminders of the nearby Saw Mill River, which once had significant tributaries flowing through the village.

Revolutionary War hero Isaac Van Wart is buried at the colonial-era cemetery of the Dutch Reformed Church (Rte. 9A). In 1780, Van Wart and fellow militiamen John Paulding and David Williams captured the British spy Major John André, a crucial informant to Benedict Arnold. The village still has streets named for each of the three patriots.

Choose the Best Medical Assistant School Elmsford NY

Elmsford NY medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant college that will provide the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your life long career, you must get the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you pick is accredited by an acknowledged organization, 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 Medical Assistant Requirements. 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, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can compare programs and make an informed decision. And by selecting the ideal program you can subsequently start a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Elmsford NY.