How Long Does Medical Assistant Training Take? Program Timelines Explained!
If you’ve ever considered a career in medicine, this is a great time for it. The American medical industry is one of the fastest-growing job sectors, with constant demand for new workers across the board. This doesn’t even require a huge time commitment – you could attend a certified medical assistant program in New York and earn a basic certification in well under a year.
Once you’re a medical assistant, you’ll be in good shape. Job demand and job stability are high, and even starting salaries are above $30,000. With a few years of experience, you could be earning $44,000 or more.
So how long does it take to attend a medical assistant school in New York, and what factors could affect your graduation timeline? Read on to learn more.
1- Basic Timelines
If you’re looking at becoming a medical assistant, you have two basic options:
1 – Certificate and diploma programs
The faster and easier option for becoming a medical assistant is to attend a certificate or diploma program, which are two terms for the same basic training process. In either case, these programs will typically take 6-12 months to complete, depending on how quickly you work your way through your courses.
This provides you with all the basics to be certified and hired as a medical assistant.
2 – Associate degree programs
If you’d rather pick up a full associate’s degree, in this case the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Medical Assisting, you’ll be looking at around two years of full-time study. Obtaining an AAS provides all the same training as a medical assistant certificate program but also includes more general educational requirements such as English and math. In addition, you would have the opportunity to take other healthcare-related electives that could boost your career.
A graduate with an AAS will be somewhat more attractive to employers, but given the high demand for healthcare workers, it isn’t a requirement to find a great job.
2- What Affects Program Completion Time?
A few different factors can change how long it takes to earn your certification or degree:
1 – Full-Time vs Part-Time
Are you in a position to attend classes full time (6+ hours a day) or will you need to attend class part time while working? This will be the single biggest factor that affects your graduation time. If you’re only attending classes part-time, your overall graduation timeline will be roughly twice that of someone attending full-time.
2 – Program Structure
Some certified medical assistant programs offer accelerated programs that condense coursework into shorter timeframes or allow students to work through materials and tests in their own time. A school that offers accelerated programs would therefore allow you to graduate more quickly, compared to a traditional university-style class setup.
Also, university-style courses – especially for an associate’s degree – typically require you to adhere to the standard semester schedule. This can also affect your timeline, such as delaying your start until the next semester begins.
3 – In-Person, Online, or Hybrid?
Ever since COVID-19, online courses have become commonplace, even for medical certification. Some schools offer fully online courses, which usually allow you to work at your own pace, although there is some risk from missing out on the group class experience. Other schools offer hybrid options, combining online and in-person classes, for a “best of both worlds” balance between robust training and faster completion.
4 – Externship Requirements
You cannot become a fully certified medical assistant without real hands-on training through a clinical externship. Exact standards vary depending on the certification type, but typically you’ll need to receive at least 160 hours of clinical training. This timeline will also be affected by whether you are attending full-time or part-time.
In addition, be aware that some schools include externships as part of their timetable, while others consider it an activity that takes place after classes have concluded. Be sure to ask about this when talking to admissions offices about their timeline!
III. Choosing the Right Program Based on Your Career Goals
So, how do you choose a program that fits your needs, goals, and schedule? We have a few tips!
How quickly do you want to enter the workforce? Given that you could be looking at anywhere from 6 months to 3+ years, think about your future and when you would want to enter the workforce.
Do you want/need a full degree? Having an associate’s degree will undoubtedly make you more attractive to employers, compared to only having a certification.
Do you want a well-rounded education? Medical assistant training aside, attending a university and receiving an associate’s degree will allow you to take a wide variety of classes and explore other interests.
What are your longer-term career goals? If you are serious about building a career in medicine, a medical assistant certification is only the bare minimum for entry. More classes, a better degree, or additional certifications such as in phlebotomy or EKG operation will create more opportunities for advancement.
The Bottom Line: How Quickly Could You Become a Medical Assistant?
If your goal is to become a medical assistant as quickly as possible, the formula is:
- Attend full-time, including your externship.
- Choose an accelerated certification program.
- Pick a school with flexible year-round classes.
- Pass all your classes and exams on the first try.
In this case, if everything goes well, you could become a medical assistant in as little as 6-7 months. By this time next year, you could already be settled into your new career!
The Westchester School for Medical & Dental Assistants can make it happen! We’re an affordable, fully accredited, and certified medical assistant school in New York, as well as offering programs for dental assistants, phlebotomists, EKG techs, and more! Our class schedule is flexible, and financial aid is available.
With a post-graduation placement rate of over 88%, WSMDA alumni can quickly move into their new careers and enjoy success for years to come.
