Short Medical Assistant Programs West Harrison NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Pick a Medical Assistant Training School near West Harrison New York

West Harrison NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to become a part of the gratifying profession of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near West Harrison NY, it’s time to select a college that will furnish the appropriate training. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing colleges so that you subsequently enroll in the best one? Most potential students start by checking out the medical assistant schools that are closest to their residences and then lean toward those that have the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are very important, such things as accreditation, internship programs and job assistance are critical issues as well. You might want to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an alternative as well (more on that later). The bottom line is that before you select a program you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the colleges you are reviewing. And to assist you with that task, we have furnished a few questions that you need to ask each of the colleges on your “maybe” list. But prior to starting that review, let’s briefly talk about the function of a medical assistant and the type of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with West Harrison NY nursing home patient The job of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their duty is to make sure that the West Harrison NY hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions where they work run successfully. Based on the type or size of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller facilities both. They are responsible for giving direct assistance to the nurses, doctors and other health professionals but may also be found performing duties at the front desk or in an office. Some of the potential responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and filing claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Taking vital signs and weighing patients
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid samples
Preparing instruments and rooms for physicians
Supplying general support during exams and procedures

While medical assistants can carry out almost any task they are authorized to under New York law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and attain certification. Two of the choices available 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 Training Courses

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to obtain a college degree. However, many West Harrison NY health care employers would rather hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training school (more on accreditation later ) that are certified. There are generally two options offered for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to attain a certificate or diploma. These programs usually take about 1 year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are normally 2 year programs available at junior and community colleges as well as trade and vocational schools. They are more expansive 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 requiring an internship with a local healthcare facility. Associate Degrees are commonly a pre-requisite for and credits can be applied to a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Schools

woman attending medical assistant school online in West Harrison NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs accessible online also. They are a good choice for students who may not have the time to go to classes on campus but could work them in if attended at home. This is an especially good solution for students who continue working full-time while earning their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses including those for textbooks, commuting and school supplies might be reduced also. But remember that all requirements for clinical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can usually be carried out in West Harrison NY area healthcare facilities. If you can earn a degree without the rigid structure of going to supervised classes on campus, then this approach to receiving your training might be the best option for you. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything necessary to attain proficiency to perform as a medical assistant is provided.

Certification Options for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, becoming certified is not a legal mandate, but is a good idea for graduates who wish to advance their careers. Not only will it help in obtaining a position after graduation, but it can also enhance initial salary negotiations. Some potential West Harrison NY medical employers simply will not employ a medical assistant that has not received accredited formal training or certification. Among the most popular and arguably the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must have graduated or will be graduating within 30 days from an accredited medical assistant program. Alternative certifications are available as well, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are offered by the NHA.

Concerns to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask West Harrison NY medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school options, you need to choose which kind of credential you want to earn, and if you would prefer attending classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can start the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the beginning of this article, many students confine their searches to the schools that are nearest to West Harrison NY with the lowest 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 need to examine when researching schools. To assist you with that process, following are a few questions that you should ask about all of the programs you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant College Accredited? There are several great reasons to confirm that the program you choose is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the education you receive will be both extensive and of the highest quality. Second, if you plan on becoming certified, you must enroll in an accredited program. Two of the acknowledged 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 school is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be eligible to take the CMA examination. Additionally, if you anticipate obtaining a student loan or financial assistance, they are normally not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as mentioned previously, a number of potential West Harrison NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited program.

What is the School’s Passing Percentage? The majority of accredited medical assistant colleges design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. To begin with, you need to determine which of the certifications the colleges you are reviewing are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to choose a program targeting that certification. Next, learn what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. This is just one of the means to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Of course schools with lower rates are ones that you will want to avoid.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two paths to acquiring medical assistant training. You can choose a diploma or certificate program and obtain entry level training in the fastest amount of time, starting at just 6 months, however the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can choose to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to finish in a community college or trade school. Whichever program you elect to enroll in, make certain that the colleges you are looking at offer the type of program you are interested in.

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

Is Job Placement Service Furnished? Getting that very first job may be a daunting undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they have a little assistance from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the West Harrison NY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its students, it affirms that it has a good reputation within the health care community. It also suggests that it has a broad network of contacts to help place students in positions.

How Large are the Classes? Class size may be an indicator of how much individual instruction you will receive during your training. Small classes and classes with a higher teacher to student ratio are more likely to provide increased access to teachers and one-on-one interaction. If possible, try to monitor a couple of classes before choosing a school to experience what the teaching atmosphere is like and how much attention the students get.

Is Class Scheduling Practical? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant college while you continue working full time, it’s imperative that the college you select provides classes that fit your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near West Harrison NY, confirm that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in easier with an online college, but you will still need to schedule any internships or clinical training that may be required. Additionally, find out what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family issues.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near West Harrison New York?

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

Harrison, New York

Harrison is a coterminous town-village located in Westchester County, New York, approximately 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Manhattan. The population was 27,472 at the 2010 census.[4] Harrison was ranked sixth in the list of the top 10 places to live in New York State for 2014 according to the national online real estate brokerage Movoto.[5]

Harrison was established in 1696 by a patent granted by the British government to John Harrison and three others, who had a year earlier bargained with local Native Americans to purchase an area of land above Westchester Path (an old trail that led from Manhattan to Port Chester) and below Rye Lake.[7] Local custom holds that Harrison was given 24 hours to ride his horse around the area he could claim, and the horse couldn't swim or didn't want to get its feet wet, but this is folklore.[8] In fact, the land below Westchester Path and along Long Island Sound had already been purchased and partly developed by the settlers of Rye, NY.

The area that became Harrison had also been sold in 1661 or 1662, and again in 1666, to Peter Disbrow, John Budd, and other investors or early residents of Rye.[9] Disbrow and Budd evidently lost their paperwork and the land was ultimately granted to Harrison and his co-investors in 1696. So upset were the people of Rye that they seceded to the Colony of Connecticut until 1700, when the King of England ordered Rye to rejoin the Colony of New York.[10]

Select the Best Medical Assistant School West Harrison NY

West Harrison NY medical assistant student It’s essential to start your new career on the right foot by selecting a medical assistant school that will furnish the proper training. Whether you’re goal is to begin a career in healthcare starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you need to obtain the appropriate information on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges offering training these days that you can make a selection based upon your personal preferences and individual circumstances. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you choose is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is particularly important if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Short Medical Assistant Programs. But irrespective of the type of credential that you plan to earn or if you have decided to attend either an online or on-campus school, make sure to ask the questions we have supplied in order to evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in West Harrison NY.