Medical Assistant Schools in New Mexico

New Mexico is an excellent place to work as a medical assistant. The field offers several pathways for residents to enter the healthcare industry, specialize, transition into advanced disciplines, earn sustainable income, and network with other established professionals.

The purpose of the resources on this page is to introduce candidates to the requirements needed to become a successful medical assistant in New Mexico and do that in a way that is straightforward to understand.

We highlight the educational options for classroom and hands-on training, the licensing and certification categories, excellent training programs, and annual average salary projections depending on a few determining criteria.

How to Become a Medical Assistant in New Mexico

Below are the steps to become a medical assistant in New Mexico.

Basic Requirements

A high school education is essential for becoming a medical assistant in New Mexico. Being at least 18 years old can also help candidates enter specific training programs that have such requirements.

Lastly, possessing communication, coordination, and interpersonal skills will help candidates acclimate to the job faster.

Education

For their education, candidates are expected to develop classroom and hands-on proficiency.

• Academic Proficiency - classroom or academic proficiency simply means that prospective medical assistants must understand theories concerning medical assisting and laboratory procedures. Attending a training program and picking up a certificate can help students fulfill this objective.

Completing an academic program that CAAHEP and ABHES accredit also prepares one for certification, as we will discuss later.

• Hands-On Proficiency—Most academic programs include an externship in the curriculum so that graduates can build hands-on proficiency in the real world before securing full-time employment.

Students may participate in an accredited medical assistant training program that takes place online. Even though some of these also make provision for hands-on training, those that don’t will encourage graduates to volunteer at clinical establishments to gain real-world experience.

Explore trades with similar paths:

• Learn how to become an HVAC technician in New Mexico

Licensure & Certification Requirements

Although becoming licensed and certified is not mandatory for medical assistants in New Mexico, the majority of them will still be certified because of the professional benefits this simple step can provide.

As mentioned above, completing a program with accreditation from CAAHEP and ABHES is a more straightforward way to become certified in the field. Organizations such as the American Association of Medical Assistants and the National Healthcareer Association will allow graduates of an accredited program to sit for certification examinations and receive their credentials once they pass.

Becoming certified will allow professionals to enjoy a high level of credibility with employers and access to continuing education mandates for skills acquisition.

The American Medical Technologists also offer wonderful credentials that follow this same approach.

Top Medical Assistant Schools in New Mexico

The following institutions offer reputable medical assistant training programs for candidates in New Mexico.

Explore medical assistant schools in New Mexico by city:

• Medical assistant schools in Albuquerque

Salary & Career Outlook

The average annual salary of a medical assistant in New Mexico who is just completing training will be different from that of someone who has been on the job for a while. Along with experience, a candidate’s specific location within the state and their credentials will also influence how much they are able to make at the end of the year.

These are some of the reasons why medical assistants in the state are divided into three broad categories based on annual income. The first category includes the median earners, who earn an annual average salary of $43,330, and the second category includes the top 10 percent, who earn an annual average salary of $57,508.

Individuals may have to begin their careers in the third category, the bottom 10 percent ($32,648), and then work their way up to the median and top earning categories.

Analyzing location only, we have the following as the highest-paying destinations for medical assistants in New Mexico:

• Ruidoso, with an annual average salary of $98,208;
• Espanola, with an annual average salary of $56,171;
• Taos, with an annual average salary of $45,229; and
• Santa Fe, with an annual average salary of $44,992..