New York Accredited Medical Assisting Schools and Programs
New York state is best known for New York City, the famed “Big Apple”. It is the most populated city in the country, and it is arguably one of the most famous cities in the world. However, New York is a big state, and it has many other areas and attractions to consider. For instance, the scenery and winter sports in upstate New York are among the best in the northeastern states. If you are looking for a job in this state, you would do well to consider a career in medicine, specifically medical assisting.
With the amount of people in the state, the need for medical workers is skyrocketing. Here’s just a few of the metropolitan areas that can serve your needs:
- New York
- Buffalo
- Rochester
- Yonkers
Medical assisting is a great career choice if you want to work in any kind of doctor’s office, or even a hospital. The need for medical assistants and their flexibility make them highly sought after in the medical world. If you want to help people and break into healthcare, becoming a medical assistant is a great entry-level pathway. When choosing a medical assisting school, make sure you pick one that has proper accreditation and offers the type of degree you are looking for.
List of New York Medical Assisting Programs
1. CUNY Queensborough Community College
Locations: Oakland Gardens, NY
CUNY Queensborough Community College offers both a certificate program in medical assisting and an associate’s degree. The Certificate in Medical Office Assistant option requires 30 credits, while the AAS degree program in medical assisting builds upon it with a total of 60 credits required. These programs prepare students to tackle a wide variety of tasks, including updating and filing medical records, scheduling appointments, taking medical histories, sterilizing medical equipment, and many other administrative and clinical duties.
2. Niagara County Community College
Locations: Sanborn, NY
Niagara County Community College offers an associate’s degree in medical assisting. The school is a part of the New York state educational system, which offers accredited programs. Enrolled students learn through classroom lectures and through a supervised 160-hour practicum, which takes place in an approved ambulatory care setting. Graduates are well-prepared to take the certification exam of their choosing.
3. Monroe College
Locations: Bronx, NY
If you live in the city, the Bronx-based Monroe College might meet your needs for a medical assisting program. They offer a 64-credit Associate of Applied Science in medical assisting, which trains students in a variety of clinical and administrative tasks to assist physicians in a number of healthcare settings. The comprehensive curriculum includes classes such as Medical Coding and Billing for the Medical Assistant, Medical Terminology, Anatomy & Physiology, and much more.
4. SUNY Genesee Community College
Location: Batavia, NY
Genesee Community College is a public community college that offers students a Clinical Medical Assistant Program that will prepare them for a future career as an entry-level healthcare worker. The program is comprised of 140 hours of classroom lecture and hands on lab practice. Once this portion of the course has been completed, students will have the option to complete a 160-hour clinical externship at a local healthcare provider. Program outcomes include teaching students how to carry out various diagnostic tests, how to perform basic lab procedures, taking patient vitals, and more.
5. SUNY Sullivan
Location: Lock Sheldrake
SUNY Sullivan is a public community college that offers a 64 credit-hour Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting (A.A.S.) that can be completed in four semesters. The program seeks to prepare students to work in physicians’ offices, health clinics, medical centers, and other healthcare facilities. Throughout the course, which includes lecture, hands-on lab practice, and a clinical externship, students will learn important clinical and administrative skills like preparing billing and insurance forms, performing various lab procedures, recording patient vitals, and more.
6. SUNY Broome
Location: Broome County, NY
SUNY Broome is a public community college that offers students an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting (A.A.S.) that can be completed in as little as two years. After students have completed the in-class lecture and lab portion of the course, they’ll be expected to complete a 15-week clinical externship at a local healthcare facility. In total, the program is 64 credit hours and consists of courses like Anatomy & Physiology, Medical Assisting Procedures, Communication, Pharmacology, and more. In 2016, SUNY Broome’s Medical Assistant program boasted a 92.86 percent pass rate.
Rachel Dennis works as both a professional writer and health care provider. She has been a licensed health care provider since 1998, with work experience as a medical assistant, certified nursing assistant and emergency medical technician. She has been writing since 1994 and has been published both on-line and in print.