A student who would like to train to be a medical assistant in New York is in luck as there are a large number of medical assistant training programs in New York for them to choose from. Although there are a number of personal and practical considerations to take into account when choosing a medical assistant program, most of the schools listed here are of good quality and you will not go far wrong by choosing one from this list.
Overview
New York is one of the most populous states in the country. There are two main reasons why pursuing a career as a medical assistant in this state is a great idea:
- Over the past five years, jobs in the health care industry have steadily grown.
- Like many other states, New York is still experiencing a shortage of medical assistants, improving your chances of finding a job here.
The larger the population of a state the higher your chances are that you will be needed. This is especially true for a service industry such as medicine where there are always more people who need the service than there are people who are able to provide the service. The medical assistant programs in New York are aimed at ensuring that you will be properly equipped for dealing with the demanding job of being a medical assistant in this state. When looking for medical assistant schools it is suggested that you apply for at a minimum of three programs, preferably as many as five, that meet your criteria in order to keep your options open and increase your chances of being accepted.
What Is A Medical Assistant?
A medical assistant is an individual who helps a doctor by performing basic clinical and administrative tasks so that the doctor does not have to. There are 4 main different types of medical assistants:
- Administrative medical assistants
- Clinical medical assistants
- Ophthalmic medical assistants
- Podiatric medical assistants
An administrative medical assistant is one that focuses more closely on the clerical side of the job rather than on the clinical side of the job. The main tasks here include billing patients and ordering office supplies. Clinical medical assistants have the opposite focus and do basic laboratory tests, dispose of contaminated supplies, sterilize medical instruments, instruct patients about medication or special diets, prepare patients for x rays, remove stitches, draw blood, and change dressings. Ophthalmic medical assistants work specifically in the eye care industry. Their job is to help optometrists with the task of seeing to the well being of a patient’s eyes and by performing basic tasks in the practice. Podiatric medical assistants work with podiatrists. Podiatrists are, essentially, foot doctors, so one of the tasks you may have here is organizing x-rays of a patient’s foot. Medical assistant programs in New York prepare you for all of these roles.
Medical Assistant Training In New York
Completing a medical assistant training program in New York will earn you a certificate, degree, or a diploma that will then increase your chances of easily finding employment in the sector. The coursework will focus on administrative and basic clinical duties and provide you with the skills you need to fulfill those roles.
Some people never pursue a career in this medical assisting simply because they feel that they cannot afford the education programs. There are, however, a number of financial aid options for students interested in enrolling in medical assistant programs in New York. These include:
- The New York State Regents Health Care Opportunity Scholarship
- The New York State Scholarships for Academic Excellence
- New York’s Tuition Assistance Program
Scholarships are monetary amounts awarded to students based on merit and that do not need to be repaid. Grants are similar and can be awarded by the government or through a school or other institute. Grants differ from scholarships in that they usually awarded on the basis of financial need rather than on the basis of academic excellence. Loans are also an option, but they do need to be repaid with interest. Federal loans have lower interest rates than private loans.
Medical Assistant Careers In New York
Once you have completed one of the training programs mentioned below you can become a medical assistant in New York. This state does not require its medical assistants to be certified, but it is suggested that they become certified in order to improve their job opportunities in this line of work significantly. The American Association of Medical Assistants is the organization through which you can achieve certification. Certification does not require any additional training. In fact, with a little bit of online preparation, you should be able to achieve certification without even attending a program. However your employer will still look on your application more favorably if you have completed an accredited training program at a school that has a good reputation for producing the best medical assistants. Many employers are not particularly concerned about your certification status, but it does reflect well on your dedication t the job and will definitely help your opportunities of finding employment. With graduation from a good school, and with certification, your career as a medical assistant will be stable and you will have access to all of though best jobs in the industry. It’s all about getting a lead on the competition.
List Of Medical Assistant Programs In New York
There are a number of medical assistant programs in New York for you to consider. The better ones are listed here. Note: the accreditation status is not available for all schools on this list. It is your responsibility to ensure that the school is properly accredited before you decide to enroll with that program.
Branford Hall Career Institute
Programs: Medical Assistant
Elmira Business Institute
Programs: Medical Assisting (Associate), Medical Assisting (Certificate)
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Everest Institute
Programs: Medical Assistant Associate Degree
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Allen School
Programs: Medical Assistant
Anthem Institute
Programs: Medical Assistant
ASA Institute of Business and Computer Technology
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Bryant & Stratton College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Hunter Business School
Programs: Medical Assistant, Medical Office Administration
Mildred Elley
Programs: Clinical Medical Assistant Certificate, Medical Assistant Associate
Plaza College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Sanford-Brown Institute
Programs: Medical Assistant – Certificate, Medical Assistant (Diploma)
Programmatic Accreditation: ABHES
SBI Campus-Melville
Programs: Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting, Medical Assisting – Certificate
Programmatic Accreditation: ABHES
Star Career Academy
Programs: Medical Assisting
Suburban Tech
Programs: Medical Assistant
SUNY-Broome Community College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
SUNY-Erie Community College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
SUNY-Niagara County Community College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Trocaire College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Pay
The annual mean wage that you are likely to earn as a medical assistant in New York is about $32,970. The hourly mean wage is also quite high and averages at $15.85 an hour in this state. Those at the bottom end of the pay scale earn about $23,930 a year, while those at the top end of the pay scale earn around $44,470 a year.
The specific city you work in can also affect your salary:
- In Binghamton you can earn around $34,377 a year
- In New York, Brooklyn, Long Island, Westchester, White Plains and Queens you can earn around $40,473 a year
- In Newburgh you can earn around $41,976 a year
- In Buffalo you can earn around $40,634 a year
- In Plattsburgh you can earn around $36,023 a year
- In Poughkeepsie you can earn around $41,976 a year
- In Elmira you can earn around $34,903 a year
- In Rome you can earn around $32,115 a year
- In Glens Falls you can earn around $36,685 a year
- In Ronkonkoma, Hauppauge and Melville you can earn around $44,449 a year
- In Schenectady you can earn around $37,139 a year
- In Ithaca you can earn around $34,455 a year
- In Syracuse you can earn around $34,400 a year
- In Jamestown you can earn around $28,554 a year
- In Utica you can earn around $32,115 a year
- In Yaphank, Manhattan, Congers, Burlington and Nassau you can earn around $40,718 a year
New York is one of the best states in which to pursue a career as a medical assistant. In addition it is one of the states that tend to pay a little higher in this position than other states. All-in-all it is an attractive state to study in and is well worth considering for students who are not New York residents. However if you do elect to study through one of the many medical assistant programs in New Y0ork you need to remember that you may not meet the requirements to work in your own state.