Medical Assistant Curriculum Watervliet NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Select a Medical Assistant Program near Watervliet New York

Watervliet NY medical assistant checking pulse Once you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Watervliet NY, it’s time to choose a college that will provide the right training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the ideal one? Most potential students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are very important, such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are critical issues also. You might want to look into several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more about that later). The bottom line is that before you select a college you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are examining. And to help you with that process, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask all of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit 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 Watervliet NY nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Basically their job is to make sure that the Watervliet NY clinics, hospitals and other medical care institutions where they work run successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they can be more of a clinical assistant, an administrative assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for providing direct support to the physicians, nurses and other health practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. Some of the possible responsibilities 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 specimens
Preparing rooms and instruments for physicians
Providing basic support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants may perform almost any activity they are authorized to under New York law, some elect 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) made available by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Courses

In contrast to many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not mandated to become certified, licensed, or to obtain a college degree. However, many Watervliet NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 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 typically take about a year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the basics 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 community and junior colleges as well as vocational and technical schools. They are more extensive in design than the diploma or certificate programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant classes. They often have a practical component requiring an internship with a local healthcare practice. Associate Degrees are often a pre-requisite for and credits can be transferred to a four year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a similar field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in Watervliet NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online also. They are a good option for students who might not have time to go to classes on campus but could fit them in if accessible at home. This is a particularly good choice for students who continue working full time while pursuing their certificate or degree. As an extra benefit, some online schools have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental costs such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies might be minimized also. But remember that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be met, but they can often be carried out in Watervliet NY area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on-campus, then this approach to getting your education might be the best option for you. Between the online lessons and the clinical training, everything needed to attain proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As previously mentioned, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent choice for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in getting employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. A number of possible Watervliet NY medical employers just will not hire a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. One of the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To qualify to take the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate or will graduate within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Other certifications are available also, including the CMAA and the CCMA that we discussed earlier which are offered by the NHA.

What to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Watervliet NY medical assistant programs Prior to evaluating your medical assistant school alternatives, you have to determine which type of credential you want to attain, and if you would prefer attending classes on-campus or online from home. Once those choices have been made, you can begin the process of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, a number of students confine their searches to the colleges that are nearest to Watervliet NY with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifiers, they are not the only ones. There are several additional issues that you need to explore when evaluating programs. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you need to ask about all of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Program Accredited? There are several great reasons to make certain that the school you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps guarantee that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you intend to become certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the approved organizations 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 agencies, you will not be qualified to take the CMA examination. Also, if you intend on obtaining a student loan or financial aid, they are normally not offered for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential Watervliet NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited college.

What is the Program’s Passing Rate? Most of the accredited medical assistant colleges develop their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To start with, you must find out which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are interested in taking the CMA for example, then obviously 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 ways to help evaluate the quality of a school’s program. Naturally programs with lower rates are ones that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we covered earlier, there are generally two routes to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and obtain entry level training in the shortest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to acquire an Associate Degree and receive a broader education that will require about two years to finish in a community college or vocational school. Whichever program you choose to pursue, make certain that the colleges you are reviewing offer the kind of program you are interested in.

Are Internships Sponsored? Many medical assistant schools offer internship programs with Watervliet NY area medical providers. They are a great means to obtain hands-on practical training and experience. They may also assist students establish relationships within the Watervliet health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Supplied? Finding that initial job may be a challenging task for medical assistant school graduates unless they receive some assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are researching provide job placement assistance in the Watervliet NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the health care community. It also indicates that it has a wide network of employers to help place students in jobs.

How Large are the Classrooms? 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 prone to provide increased access to instructors and face to face interaction. If practical, try to sit in on a few classes before enrolling in a school to witness what the teaching atmosphere is like and just how much attention the students receive.

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you plan on attending a medical assistant college while you continue to work full time, it’s important that the school you enroll in offers classes that accommodate your schedule. If you need to attend classes at night or on weekends near Watervliet NY, confirm that those times are offered. You may be able to fit your classes in more conveniently with an online program, but you will also need to schedule any clinical training or internships that may be required. Additionally, ask what the policy 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 Watervliet New York?

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

Watervliet, New York

Watervliet (/wɔːtərˈvliːt/ waw-tər-VLEET or /wɔːtərvəˈliːt/ waw-tər-və-LEET) is a city in Albany County in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 10,254 as of the 2010 census.[5] Watervliet is north of Albany, the capital of the state, and is bordered on the north, west, and south by the town of Colonie. The city is also known as "the Arsenal City".

The explorer Henry Hudson arrived in the area of Watervliet around 1609. The area was first settled in 1643 as part of the Rensselaerswyck patroonship, under the direction of Kiliaen van Rensselaer. In 1710, Derrick van der Heyden operated a ferry from the Bleeker Farm (near 16th Street) across the Hudson River to Troy. Troops during the Revolutionary War used this ferry in 1777 on their way to Bemis Heights and Stillwater for the Battle of Saratoga. In 1786, a second ferry was started at Ferry Street (today 14th Street) over to Troy.[6] The town of Watervliet was founded in 1788 and included all of present-day Albany County except what was in the city of Albany at the time. Because so many towns had been created from the town of Watervliet, it is regarded as the "mother of towns" in the county.[citation needed] In 1816, as the first post office was erected, corner of River and Ferry streets (Broadway and 14th Street), it took the name Watervliet.[6]

The location of the future city was taken by the village of Gibbonsville (1824) and its successor West Troy, and the hamlet of Washington (later Port Schuyler).[7] The farm owned by John Bleeker, stretching north from Buffalo Street (Broadway and 15th Street) to the farm owned by the Oothout family near 25th Street was purchased by Philip Schuyler, Isais Warren, Richard P. Hart, Nathan Warren, and others in 1823; they named it West Troy. Gibbonsville was the farm of James Gibbons (which he purchased in 1805), which stretched from North Street (8th Street) to Buffalo Street (15th Street).[6] Washington was settled sometime before 1814 and was the area south of Gibbonsville and today the area of Watervliet south of the Arsenal; it became known as Port Schuyler in 1827.[7] Although Gibbonsville and West Troy sat side by side (West Troy lying on Gibbonsville's northern boundary), there was a rivalry between the two and each named and laid out their streets with no regard to the street names and grids of the other.[7] In 1824 Gibbonsville became incorporated as a village, and in 1836 this was repealed when West Troy became incorporated as a village including Gibbonsville and Port Schuyler;[7] and in 1847 the Watervliet post office changed its name to West Troy.[8] In 1830, Gibbonsville had 559 people, West Troy 510, and Port Schuyler 450.[8]

Choose the Right Medical Assistant School Watervliet NY

Watervliet NY medical assistant student It’s important to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant school that will provide the proper training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in healthcare 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 so many schools providing training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have addressed in this article, make certain that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Medical Assistant Curriculum. But irrespective of the type of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided 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 fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Watervliet NY.