Certified Medical Assistant Career Jericho NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Jericho New York

Jericho 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 Jericho NY, it’s time to select a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? A number of prospective students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are nearest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors also. You may decide to look into some online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The main point is that prior to selecting a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to help you with that task, we have furnished some questions that you should ask each of the schools on your short list. But before we start that review, let’s briefly talk about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of training and credentials that are available.

The Duties of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Jericho NY nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their function is to make sure that the Jericho NY clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers where they work operate successfully. Based on the size or type of facility, they can be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other medical professionals 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:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Setting and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Taking blood and other fluid and tissue specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for doctors
Giving general support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants can perform almost any activity they are authorized to under New York law, some opt to specialize in a particular area and attain 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 Programs

Compared to most other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to earn a college degree. However, a number of Jericho NY health care employers prefer to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are essentially two choices offered for a formal education. The first and fastest route to becoming a medical assistant is to earn a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, some as little as six to nine months. They are designed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs available at community and junior colleges together with vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in nature than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant courses. They often have a clinical element requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Online Medical Assistant Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Jericho NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent 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 working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, a number of online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Ancillary costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be lessened as well. Just keep in mind that all requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can often be carried out in Jericho NY area healthcare facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this mode of getting your training may be the best choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, certification is not a legal requirement, but is an excellent idea for individuals who want to boost their careers. It will not only help in securing employment after graduation, but it might also enhance initial salary negotiations. Many possible Jericho NY medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. 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 sit for the CMA examination, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating 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 offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Jericho NY medical assistant programs Before you can start reviewing your medical assistant school options, you need to determine which type of credential you would like to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online from home. Once those decisions have been made, you can start the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, many students limit their searches to the colleges that are closest to Jericho NY with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must examine when assessing programs. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you should ask about all of the schools you are thinking about before making your final selection.

Is the Medical Assistant School Accredited? There are many great reasons to confirm that the school you enroll in is accredited. First, 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 must 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 either of these agencies, you will not be eligible to take the CMA exam. Also, if you anticipate applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, a number of potential Jericho NY employers will not employ a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you need to learn which of the certifications the programs you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then naturally you will want to enroll in a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the program’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is one of the means to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with low rates are those that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program and get entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require approximately 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whatever program you decide to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are looking at provide the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Provided? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Jericho NY area medical care providers. They are an excellent means to receive hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also assist students establish relationships within the Jericho healthcare community. And as an added perk, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Support Offered? Getting that very first job may be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Verify that the schools you are evaluating offer job placement assistance in the Jericho NY area and find out 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 wide network of employers to help place students in positions.

How Big are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much personal attention you will get throughout your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to furnish greater access to instructors and one-on-one interaction. If convenient, try to attend a few classes before choosing a program to observe what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accommodating? 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 select offers classes that fit your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Jericho NY, make certain that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online college, but you will also need to schedule any internships or practical training that may be required. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up classes that you may have to miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Jericho New York?

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

Jericho, New York

Its population was 13,567 as of the United States 2010 Census. The area is served by the Jericho Union Free School District and the Syosset Central School District, the boundaries of which differ somewhat from those of the hamlet. The boundaries of the Jericho Post Office vary from both the hamlet and the school district boundaries, notably by including a portion of Jericho in the Westbury zip code, and the inclusion of a portion of Syosset in the Jericho zip code.

Located mainly in the Town of Oyster Bay with a small part in the Town of Hempstead, Jericho was part of the Robert Williams Plantation in 1648. The English families who settled in Jericho were, or soon became, Quakers, members of the Society of Friends. Many fled from persecution in England and in the New England Colonies. They sought a peaceful existence as farmers. The name of the area was changed in 1692 from Lusum to Jericho after the town in the Middle East near the Jordan River mentioned in the Bible as part of the Promised Land.

Elias Hicks married Jemima Seaman in 1771 and moved to her family’s farm in Jericho, where he soon became a noted preacher of Quaker doctrine. All the Quakers suffered during the British occupation of Long Island in the Revolutionary War. The practice was to quarter troops in homes of residents, who had to provide room and board for them. The Quakers continued to protest the entire concept of war itself. After the war, peace returned to Jericho, and the neat farms and businesses began to prosper. A Friends Meeting house was built in 1788 in Jericho that is still used in the 21st century. A Quaker school was built in 1793, the Charity Society of Jericho and Westbury in 1794, and slavery was abolished in 1817, with Hicks' help.

Enroll in the Ideal Medical Assistant Program Jericho NY

Jericho 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 furnish the appropriate training. Whether you’re goal is to launch a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right information on available programs before making your selection. There are such a large number of schools providing training these days that you can make a selection based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have covered in this article, verify that the program you decide on is accredited by a recognized organization, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you intend on taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Certified Medical Assistant Career. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend 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 supplied in order to 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 Jericho NY.