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Receive your NHA CCMA certification
100% online followed by in-person clinical hours
Job interview prep and resume services
1:1 Support From Enrollment to Employment
Stepful’s New York Medical Assistant Program is a 4-month program that prepares students to pass their Certified Clinical Medical Assisting (CCMA) exam.
Our classes are designed to help students understand and retain complex topics such as infection control, anatomy and physiology, phlebotomy, EKG reading, and more. We use a combination of live instruction, virtual simulations, quizzes, and other tools to make sure each student learns in a way that works for them.
In addition to our convenient schedule and easy-to-follow class structure, Stepful makes it easy to find an externship. Our program has partnerships with over 8,000 clinics across the Nation, which allows us to find a convenient externship site for every student.*
*Must be available during regular working hours | Mon to Fri, min 20 hours per week
*Must be in good academic and financial standing
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At-home clinical kit included
What you’ll learn
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Weeks 1-4
Learn the foundational healthcare knowledge needed to become a well-rounded Medical Assistant. Topics include healthcare systems, medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology.
Weeks 5-8
Master the ins and outs of clinical patient care, such as infection control, phlebotomy, EKG, as well as patient care coordination and education.
Weeks 9-13
Learn how to handle routine administrative responsibilities and get a good grasp of medical law and ethics as well as excellent customer service.
Weeks 14-17+
Prepare for your national certification exam, get certified, and work with your dedicated coach to find an externship and then a full-time job.
Pick Your Start Date
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01
Graduate from high school or complete your GED
Before starting on the journey to becoming a medical assistant, you must complete high school or earn a GED.If you need an alternative option to traditional high school, many online programs are available.
02
Complete a Medical Assistant Course
While completing a training course is not always required, most healthcare organizations want to hire medical assistants who have completed a formal training program. Professionals who complete a training course should become proficient in skills such as EKG measurements, patient safety, sterility, infection control, medical billing, phlebotomy, and documentation.
In New York, students can choose to complete either a certification-only program or earn an associate degree. Certification programs can be completed through a trade school or online in as little as 4 months. Degree programs take two years to complete and may cost over $10,000.
While some students may be tempted by a degree program, it is important to remember that no state or government agency requires medical assistants to earn a degree before working with patients.
Here at Stepful you can opt for our 4-month medical assistant program that prepares you for the most popular medical assistant certification. We support our students from enrollment to employment.
03
Gain Hands-On Experience Through an Externship
Externships give students the chance to shadow a working medical assistant, practice their hands-on skills, and feel comfortable working with patients.
This step can last several weeks, and students may spend 8-hour days with their externship guide. Externships are great learning opportunities and offer a great way to connect with potential employers and other medical assistants.
Organizations in New York that offer externship opportunities to medical assistants may include Mount Sinai, Northwell Health, and Bellevue Hospital.
At Stepful, we help students secure externship opportunities by connecting them with healthcare institutions across New York. With thousands of partnered clinics, we make the interview process smoother and more accessible for our graduates to get the clinical hours they need.
04
Pass Your Medical Assistant Certification Exam
After completing your training and before you start looking for a job, you need to pass your medical assisting certification exam.
Whether you choose to attend a certificate-only program or earn your associate degree in medical assisting, you should be prepared to take one of the most common medical assistant certification exams.
Certification exams include the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) offered by the American Medical Technologists, the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association, and the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants.
Each of these exams contains about 150 questions and has a similar level of difficulty, cost, and passing rate. Once you have earned a certificate, you must ensure that you meet the annual renewal requirements for your certifying organization.
05
Search for Jobs
When you are ready to look for a job, consider using websites like Monster, GlassDoor, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter. Medical assistants in New York can also browse specific healthcare organization websites or search on the New York State Website.
At Stepful, our coaches also offer job search support, assisting students with interview preparation and resume building so they can land the job of their dreams.
New York law does not require medical assistants to complete formal training or earn a certification before working with patients.
Even though it isn't required, most medical assistants find that certification is worth it, since 87% of organizations prefer to hire certified assistants, according to the NHA.
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Medical assistants in New York are not required to register with the state or obtain a license before working in healthcare.
What Medical Assistants Can Do in New York
The New York State Department of Education also has a specific list of tasks that can be delegated to a medical assistant.
These specific tasks include:
- Secretarial work such as assembling charts or assisting with billing
- Measuring vital signs
- Performing ECGs
- Assisting an authorized practitioner, under the direct and personal supervision of said practitioner, to carry out a specific task that does not require medical judgment or decision-making
- Removing sutures or staples under the supervision of a physician or other appropriately licensed person, provided that the patient is evaluated, at a minimum, immediately before the procedure by an appropriately licensed professional
- Act as scribe and enter History and Physical information, chief complaint, medications, allergies, and family history into a chart or Electronic Medical Record and assist a patient in filling out a self-report questionnaire
- Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens and transcribing results without interpreting or assessing the following:
- Urine dipsticks
- Phlebotomy, if properly trained and in a CLIA-waived facility on Finger Sticks
- Cheek Swabs
- Throat Swabs
- Superficial cultures
- Performing basic hearing and vision tests
- Providing prepared family education and instruction
- Changing or applying wound dressings (not casts)
- Applying an allergen patch test but not interpreting it
- Open sterile packages, under the continuous and direct supervision of an appropriately licensed and credentialed individual
Administrative Responsibilities
- Maintain patient records
- Track inventory
- Order medical and office supplies
- Document procedures
- Clean the waiting room
- Organize supplies
- Schedule appointments
- Deal with insurance claims
- Manage patient billing and payments
What Medical Assistants Cannot Do in New York
The New York State Department of Education has specific rules about what a medical assistant should and should not do.
Whether or not they have a certification, medical assistants in New York are not permitted to:
- Triage
- Drawing up or administering vaccinations or immunizations, including preparing and administering allergens
- Drawing up any medication in syringes
- Administering medications through any route
- Administering contrast dyes or injections of any kind
- Placing sutures and other forms of wound closure
- Taking X-rays or independently positioning patients for X-rays
- Applying or removing casts
- First assisting in surgical procedures
- Inserting or removing IVs or catheters of any kind
- Relaying positive test results to patients
- Teaching patients self-injection of medications or self-catheterization
- Performing EMGs or other nerve conduction studies
- Set up or manipulate any sterile field
- Perform pre-procedural preparation/disinfection
As of May 2023, there are currently about 39,860 medical assisting jobs in the state, or 4.244 per 1,000 residents. New York cities with the highest number of medical assistants include New York, Newark, and Jersey City.
Medical assistants earn a decent salary in New York. The average salary for medical assistants in New York, in general, is $42,100 per year or $20.24 per hour. Medical assistants in New York State have an average pay of $20.90 per hour or $48,657 per year.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for all healthcare jobs are expected to increase by 12%. For medical assistants, specifically, job opportunities are expected to increase by 15% from 2023 to 2033. This is much higher than the average job growth across the country (4%).
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Salary: $42,100 / year
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Job Outlook: +15% Growth
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# of Jobs in NY: 39,860
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There are no specific organizations for medical assistants in New York. However, medical assistants are supported by the Healthcare Association of New York.
The National Healthcareer Association, American Medical Technologists, and American Association of Medical Assistants are all national organizations that can help medical assistants pursue continuing education, earn a certification, network with other medical assistants, and search for job openings.
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