Best Colleges For Medical Assistant Whitestone NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant School near Whitestone New York

Whitestone NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have decided to become a part of the gratifying field of healthcare and enroll in a medical assistant school near Whitestone NY, it’s time to select a college that will provide the proper training. But just how do you undertake comparing and evaluating colleges so that you subsequently pick the right one? A number of potential students start by researching the medical assistant schools that are closest to their homes and then lean toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important issues also. You may decide 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 important aspects of the colleges you are evaluating. And to help you with that task, we have provided a few questions that you need to ask all of the schools 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 type of credentials and training that are offered.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Whitestone NY nursing home patient The duties of a medical assistant can be varied as well as demanding. Primarily their role is ensure that the Whitestone NY clinics, hospitals and other medical care centers where they work operate efficiently. Depending on the size or type of facility, they may be more of an administrative assistant, a clinical assistant, or in smaller practices both. They are tasked with providing direct assistance to the physicians, nurses and other health professionals but may also be found working in an office or at the front desk. Some of the many duties of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting claims
Scheduling and verifying appointments
Weighing and taking patients vital signs
Collecting blood and other tissue and fluid specimens
Preparing instruments and rooms for doctors
Providing general support during examinations and procedures

Even though medical assistants may carry out almost any duty they are qualified to under New York law, some opt to specialize in a specific area and earn 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 Programs

Unlike many other healthcare professionals, medical assistants are not required to become licensed, certified, or to earn a college degree. However, many Whitestone NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (more on accreditation later ) that have earned certification. There are basically 2 choices provided for a formal education. The first and shortest route to becoming a medical assistant is to obtain a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about a year to finish, a few as little as six to nine months. They are developed to teach the fundamentals of medical assisting and ready graduates for entry level positions. The second option is to earn an Associate Degree, which are typically two year programs offered at junior and community colleges together with trade and vocational 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 clinical element involving 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 Whitestone NY There are many accredited medical assistant programs available online too. They are an excellent alternative for individuals who might not have the 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 pursuing their degree or certificate. As an additional benefit, many online programs have cheaper tuitions than the more traditional on campus alternatives. Ancillary expenses such as for commuting, textbooks and school supplies may be lessened as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for practical training or internships must still be satisfied, but they can typically be performed in Whitestone NY area medical care facilities. If you can earn a degree without the formal structure of attending supervised classes on campus, then this approach to getting your training might be the best option for you. With the online courses and the practical training, everything necessary to achieve proficiency to work as a medical assistant is furnished.

Certification Programs for Medical Assistants

As earlier stated, certification is not a legal mandate, but is an excellent option for individuals who wish to advance their careers. It will not only help in attaining a job after graduation, but it might also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Whitestone NY medical employers just will not employ a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. One of the most popular and possibly 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 examination, an applicant must have graduated or will graduate within thirty days from an accredited medical assistant program. Additional certifications are available also, such as the CCMA and the CMAA that we previously mentioned which are provided by the NHA.

Points to Ask Medical Assistant Schools

Questions to ask Whitestone NY medical assistant programs Prior to examining your medical assistant school options, you must choose which type of credential you want to attain, and if you want to attend classes on campus or online at home. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the process of evaluating medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of potential students restrict their searches to the colleges that are closest to Whitestone NY with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important qualifications, they are not the only ones. There are a number of additional considerations that you must explore when assessing schools. To help you with that task, below are a few questions that you need to ask about each of the schools you are considering before making your ultimate choice.

Is the Medical Assistant Course Accredited? There are many good reasons to verify that the school you select is accredited. First, accreditation helps guarantee that the training 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 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 program is not accredited by one of these organizations, you will not be qualified to take the CMA exam. Additionally, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, as previously mentioned, many potential Whitestone NY employers will not hire a medical assistant who has not graduated from an accredited school.

What is the Program’s Passing Percentage? Most of the accredited medical assistant schools design their programs to prep students to pass one or more certification exams. First, you must learn which of the certifications the programs you are looking at are preparing their students for. If you are planning on taking the CMA for example, then obviously you will want to choose a program targeting 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 one of the ways to help evaluate the quality of a college’s program. Naturally schools with low rates are those that you will want to eliminate.

Which Credentials are Provided? As we previously covered, there are basically two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is closer to 1 year. Or you can decide to obtain an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will require about 2 years to accomplish in a junior college or trade school. Whichever program you choose to enroll in, verify that the schools you are considering provide the kind of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Provided? Numerous medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Whitestone NY area healthcare providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on practical experience and training. They may also help students develop relationships within the Whitestone health care community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews too.

Is Job Placement Help Furnished? Landing that first job may be a challenging task for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the colleges you are evaluating provide job placement assistance in the Whitestone NY area and find out what their placement rate is. If a program 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 broad network of employers to help place students in positions.

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

Is Class Scheduling Convenient? If you plan on attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full time, it’s imperative that the school you enroll in provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to attend classes at night or on weekends near Whitestone NY, make sure that those times are available. You might be able to fit your classes in more easily with an online program, but you will also have 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 due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Whitestone New York?

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

Whitestone, Queens

Whitestone is an upper middle-class residential neighborhood in the northernmost part of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood proper is located between the East River to the north and 25th Avenue to the south. Whitestone is surrounded by College Point, Flushing, Bayside, Auburndale, Linden Hill, and Murray Hill.

Whitestone contains the subsection of Malba, which is bounded to the north by the East River, to the east by the Whitestone Expressway, to the south by 14th Avenue, and to the west by 138th Street. Malba was cited in a New York Times article as one of the few "elite enclaves" of Queens.[2]

Dutch settlers derived the name of the town from limestone that used to lie on the shore of the river according to a popular tradition. This tradition is supported by 17th century wills and deeds, which may be found in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, that refer to "the white stone" as a local landmark and survey reference point. Whitestone got its name because the settlers discovered that Whitestone was built on white limestone. The neighborhood is patrolled by the NYPD's 109th Precinct, and is part of Queens Community Board 7. It is traditionally bounded by the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge (opened 1939) on the west and the Throgs Neck Bridge (opened 1961) on the east.[3] The zip code of Whitestone is 11357.

Pick the Right Medical Assistant Training Program Whitestone NY

Whitestone NY medical assistant student It’s imperative to begin your new career on the right foot by picking a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Whether you’re objective is to begin a career in medical care starting out as a medical assistant or to practice medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must acquire the appropriate info on available programs prior to making your selection. There are such a large number of schools offering training nowadays that you can make a decision based on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, make sure that the program you select is accredited by an acknowledged agency, such as the CAAHEP. This is especially critical if you plan on taking the CMA certification examination. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Best Colleges For Medical Assistant. But irrespective of the kind of credential that you intend to earn or if you have decided to attend either an on-campus or online school, make sure to ask the questions we have provided so you can evaluate programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the right program you can ultimately begin a fulfilling career as a medical assistant in Whitestone NY.