Schools That Offer Medical Assistant Yonkers NY - Find Medical Assistant Programs Near You

How to Find the Right Medical Assistant Training Program near Yonkers New York

Yonkers NY medical assistant checking pulse Now that you have made a decision to join the rewarding field of health care and enroll in a medical assistant school near Yonkers NY, it’s time to choose a college that will furnish the appropriate 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 closest to their residences and then gravitate toward those that have the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are extremely important such things as accreditation, job assistance and internship programs are important factors as well. You might decide to take a look at several online medical assistant programs as an option also (more about that later). The bottom line is that prior to selecting a program you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are assessing. And to help you with that process, we have provided several questions that you need to ask each of the schools on your short list. But prior to starting that review, let’s talk a little bit about the role of a medical assistant and the kind of credentials and training that are available.

The Responsibilities of Medical Assistants

medical assistant with Yonkers NY nursing home patient The role of a medical assistant can be varied as well as challenging. Essentially their duty is to make sure that the Yonkers NY hospitals, clinics 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 giving direct support to the nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners but can also be found working at the front desk or in an office. A few of the possible responsibilities of a medical assistant include:

Completing insurance forms and submitting 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 basic support during examinations and procedures

While medical assistants may carry out almost any task they are authorized to under New York law, some elect to specialize in a particular area and earn certification. Two of the options offered are for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical Assistant Programs

Unlike many other medical professionals, medical assistants are not required to become certified, licensed, or to have a college degree. However, a number of Yonkers NY health care employers choose to hire graduates of an accredited medical assistant training program (we’ll cover accreditation later ) that are certified. There are basically 2 options provided for a formal education. The first and quickest path to becoming a medical assistant is to acquire a diploma or a certificate. These programs typically take about 1 year to complete, some as little as six to nine months. They are created to teach the basics of medical assisting and prepare graduates for entry level positions. The second alternative is to attain an Associate Degree, which are usually 2 year programs offered at community and junior colleges in addition to trade and vocational schools. They are more extensive in design than the certificate or diploma programs, and include liberal arts courses in addition to the medical assistant training. They usually 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 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Assistant Studies or a related field.

Medical Assistant Online Classes

woman attending medical assistant school online in Yonkers NY There are numerous accredited medical assistant programs available online as well. They are an excellent alternative for those who might not have time to attend classes on campus but could fit 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 programs have cheaper tuitions than the more conventional on campus options. Supplemental costs such as for textbooks, commuting and school supplies may be minimized as well. Just bear in mind that any requirements for clinical training or internships must still be met, but they can typically be completed in Yonkers NY area medical care facilities. If you can learn without the formal structure of participating in supervised classes on campus, then this method of receiving your education might be the right choice for you. Between the online classes and the practical 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 requirement, but is a good idea for individuals who wish to boost their careers. Not only will it help in securing employment after graduation, but it can also help with preliminary salary negotiations. Many potential Yonkers NY medical employers simply will not hire a medical assistant that has not obtained certification or accredited formal training. Among the most popular and perhaps the most respected certification is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). In order to apply for the CMA exam, a candidate must be a graduate 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.

Topics to Ask Medical Assistant Programs

Questions to ask Yonkers NY medical assistant programs Before you can start assessing your medical assistant school alternatives, 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. As soon as those decisions have been made, you can begin the procedure of comparing medical assistant schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of prospective students restrict their searches to the schools that are closest to Yonkers NY with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant qualifiers, they are by no means the only ones. There are several additional considerations that you must explore when evaluating schools. To assist you with that task, following are some 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 several great reasons to verify that the school you select is accredited. To begin with, accreditation helps ensure that the instruction you receive will be both comprehensive and of the highest quality. Next, if you intend to become certified, you need to 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 one of these organizations, you will not be allowed to take the CMA exam. Also, if you intend on applying for a student loan or financial aid, they are often not available for non-accredited programs. And last, as previously mentioned, many prospective Yonkers NY employers will not employ 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 develop their programs to prepare students to pass one or more certification examinations. To start with, you must learn which of the certifications the colleges you are looking at are preparing their students to take. If you are interested in taking the CMA for instance, then of course you will need to enroll in a program concentrating on that certification. Second, find out what the school’s passage rate is for the certification and compare it to the national average. Doing this is just one of the ways to help assess the quality of a school’s program. Obviously schools with low rates are ones that you will prefer to avoid.

Which Programs are Provided? As we previously covered, there are essentially two routes to obtaining medical assistant training. You can choose a certificate or diploma program and receive entry level training in the shortest amount of time, from as little as 6 months, although the average is about one year. Or you can choose to earn an Associate Degree and get a broader education that will take approximately two years to accomplish in a junior college or vocational school. Whatever program you decide to enroll in, confirm that the colleges you are reviewing provide the type of program you have an interest in.

Are Internships Available? Many medical assistant colleges sponsor internship programs with Yonkers NY area health care providers. They are an excellent means to obtain hands-on clinical training and experience. They can also help students build relationships within the Yonkers medical community. And as an additional benefit, they are an asset on resumes and for job interviews as well.

Is Job Placement Help Offered? Getting that first job can be a difficult undertaking for graduating medical assistant students unless they receive some help from a job placement program. Confirm that the schools you are interviewing offer job placement assistance in the Yonkers NY area and ask what their placement rate is. If a college has a high job placement rate for its graduates, it indicates that it has an excellent reputation within the medical community. It also indicates that it has a large network of employers to help place students in positions.

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

Is Class Scheduling Accessible? If you anticipate attending a medical assistant program while you continue to work full-time, it’s imperative that the program you select provides classes that accommodate your schedule. If you have to go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Yonkers NY, make sure that those times are available. You may be able to fit your classes in easier with an online school, but you will also need to schedule all internships or practical training that may be required. Also, ask what the policy is for making up classes that you might have to miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Enrolling in a Medical Assistant Program near Yonkers New York?

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

Yonkers, New York

Yonkers (/ˈjɒŋkərz/[5]) is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of New York, behind New York City, Buffalo, and Rochester. The population of Yonkers was 195,976 as enumerated in the 2010 United States Census and is estimated to have increased by 2.5% to 200,807 in 2016.[6] It is an inner suburb of New York City, directly to the north of the Bronx and approximately two miles (3 km) north of the northernmost point in Manhattan.

Yonkers' downtown is centered on a plaza known as Getty Square, where the municipal government is located. The downtown area also houses significant local businesses and non-profits, and serves as a major retail hub for Yonkers and the northwest Bronx.

The city is home to several attractions, including the Untermyer Park and Gardens; Hudson River Museum; Saw Mill River daylighting, wherein a parking lot was removed to uncover a river; Science Barge; Sherwood House; and Yonkers Raceway, a harness racing track that has renovated its grounds and clubhouse and added legalized video slot machine gambling in 2006 in a "racino" called Empire City.

Choose the Right Medical Assistant Course Yonkers NY

Yonkers NY medical assistant student It’s important to start your new career on the right foot by enrolling in a medical assistant program that will provide the right training. Regardless if you’re objective is to launch a career in health care starting out as a medical assistant or to pursue medical assistance as your lifetime career, you must obtain the right info on available programs prior to making your decision. There are such a large number of colleges providing training these days that you can make a selection based upon your individual circumstances and personal preferences. And as we have discussed in this article, confirm that the program you select is accredited by a recognized organization, for example the CAAHEP. This is particularly critical if you anticipate taking the CMA certification exam. You came to this site initially because you had an interest in Schools That Offer Medical Assistant. But regardless of the kind 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 compare programs and make an informed decision. And by picking the best program you can subsequently begin a gratifying career as a medical assistant in Yonkers NY.