Are you considering starting a career as a medical administrative assistant or certified medical assistant?
Today’s allied health professionals are becoming certified as medical and administrative assistants by attending some of New York’s top medical assisting schools.
Below, we provide some basic information about what new allied health professionals can expect to encounter during the course of their medical assistant careers and provide a brief overview of ten of the top medical assisting schools in New York.
Article Table of Contents
What is a Medical Assistant?
If you’ve ever been checked in by an allied health professional at the front desk of your doctor’s office, primary care, or emergency room visit, you were probably registered by a medical assistant.
Medical assistants are allied healthcare professionals trained to assist licensed medical professionals like doctors and nurses to perform front and back-office procedures that make patient care easier for all.
Medical Assistant Duties
Medical assistants support doctors and nurses in providing healthcare services for patients in a variety of medical settings:
- Taking the patient vital signs
- Updating medical records
- Scheduling patient appointments
- Managing billing and insurance paperwork
- Answering telephones
- Managing patient records
- Updating patient portals
What is a Medical Administrative Assistant?
Medical Administrative Assistants focus more on the front and back office procedures that keep medical clinics, hospitals, and doctor’s offices running than on patient care.
You’ll find medical administrative assistants greeting patients at the front desk, registering patients at urgent care centers and hospitals, and managing electronic patient records for telehealth appointments.
Where do Medical Assistants Work?
Medical assistants work in a wide variety of settings supporting doctors, nurses, and patients as allied health professionals:
- Hospitals
- Doctors Offices
- Urgent Care Clinics
- Emergency Rooms
- Assisted Living Facilities
- Private Homes
- Government Institutions
- Schools
- Laboratories
How Much Do Medical Assistants Make Each Year?
Salary data reported by the BLS say that most medical assistants make just under $36,000 per year on average.
The report also states there are a few factors that can impact medical assistant salaries, as follows:
Location
Medical assistants who work in large metropolitan areas with higher wages can earn up to twice as much as medical assistants in small towns and rural areas.
Specialty
Allied health professionals specializing in a specific field may command higher salaries than those with general medical assisting experience.
Experience
The longer someone has worked as a medical assistant, the more they will likely be paid for their skills and expertise.
This means an entry-level medical assistant is likely to earn less than a skilled medical assistant with an established medical assisting career.
Education
Along with hands-on experience in the medical field, having formal education as a medical assistant can help you command a higher salary.
The most commonly sought-after certification for entry-level medical assistants is the CMA offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants.
BLS report shows that medical assistants with CMA credentials earn an average salary of just under $52,000 annually.
What is the Career Outlook for Medical Assistants in New York?
According to the employment outlook from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career outlook shows medical assistants and their administrative counterparts are projected to grow faster than most other occupations.
BLS reports show that an aging population and novel diseases like coronavirus drive a national need for more allied healthcare professionals to assist doctors and nurses with patient care.
The medical assistant schools below offer financial aid options for income-qualified students and a direct pathway to taking state licensure tests required to practice assistant medical services in hospitals, clinics, health departments, and private practices in New York.
Medical Assisting Schools in New York, NY
1 Mildred Elley
About The School
Mildred Elley is a private school with several campus locations for students who want to become certified medical assistants.
They offer a Clinical Medial Associate Certificate and a Medical Assistant Associate.
In addition, programs offered at Mildred Elley prepare students for state licensure exams and entry-level careers as medical assistants or medical administrative assistants.
Courses
- General Medical Assistant
- EKG Certification
- Phlebotomy Certification
- Certified Medical Assistant Certification
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant Certification
Address: 25 Broadway floor 16, New York, NY 10004
2 Hunter Business School
About the School
Hunter Business School in New York, offers an accredited medical assistant program based on CAAHEP standards.
Program candidates must meet their minimum admission requirements and application process before officially enrolling in medical assistant classes that prepare them to sit for state licensure exams and begin working in the field.
Students who take classes at Hunter can take courses in Levittown or Medford.
Courses
- Medical Terminology
- Introduction to Medical Assisting
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Lab Procedures
- Phlebotomy
Address: 3601 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown, NY 11756
3 ASA College
About The School
ASA College in Brooklyn has a medical assistant certification program with a high graduation rate.
Students who enroll at ASA can earn a medical assisting degree or certificate on campus or remotely.
In addition, they offer a remote learning option for students who cannot take medical assistant courses at their Brooklyn, Manhattan, or Hialeah, FL campuses.
Courses
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Pharmacology
- Laboratory Procedures
- EKG
- Medical Terminology
- Medical Office Procedures
Address: 151 Lawrence Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
4 The Allen School
About The School
Allen’s School of Health Sciences is listed among the top medical assisting schools in New York.
They train students on an allied health career track to become medical assistants.
Allen School of Health Sciences offers accelerated learning options for medical assisting students who want to complete their education in less than one year.
The school gives students access to courses at three campus locations.
They have two New York locations, one in Brooklyn and the other in Jamaica, NY.
There is a third location for medical assisting students who want to take classes in Phoenix, AZ.
Courses
- Medical Terminology
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Medical Front Office
- Laboratory Procedures
- ABHES Certification Track
- Certified Medical Assistant Exam Prep
Address: 188 Montague Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201
Schools Summary Table
Rank | School | |
---|---|---|
#1 | Mildred Elley | |
#2 | Hunter Business School | |
#3 | ASA College | |
#4 | The Allen School |
Read the full guide: How to Become a Medical Assistant