Westchester School for Medical & Dental Assistants · Est. 2004

88% of Graduates Land a
Healthcare Job in 30 Days.

Get certified as a Medical or Dental Assistant in as little as 9 months. Accredited program in Ardsley, NY — day, evening, and Saturday classes available, with financial aid for those who qualify.

ACCET · NYSED BPSS · U.S. Department of Education Title IV

Speak With An Adviser

Schedule a 15-minute info call.

A $100 registration fee is due at enrollment. Tuition financing options including Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and payment plans are reviewed individually with your adviser.

88%+ placement within 30 days  /  21 years of operation  /  Title IV eligible

One School. Four Healthcare Careers. Westchester County Since 2004.

Choose Medical, Dental, Phlebotomy or EKG Tech — all programs include real clinical externships, certification prep, and job placement support. Most graduates are working in 30 days.

Why WSMDA

Built for working adults — and recent grads — across Westchester, the Bronx, and Yonkers.

01

Day, evening, and Saturday cohorts

Medical Assistant runs 30 weeks during the day or 57 weeks evenings. Dental Assistant runs 20 weeks day or 38 weeks evenings. EKG and Phlebotomy run on Saturdays. Schedule structure is intended to accommodate full-time employment during training.

02

Clinical externship hours, not simulations

Every program includes externship placement at a working medical or dental practice: 270 hours for Medical Assistant, 200 hours for Dental Assistant. Graduates leave with documented clinical experience, not classroom-only credits.

03

88%+ placement within 30 days of graduating

The WSMDA Placement Office refers graduates to hiring practices across Westchester County, the Bronx, Yonkers, Mount Vernon, and White Plains at no additional charge. Placement assistance continues through the post-graduation onboarding period.

Source: wsmda.edu, internal claim 2026
04

Federal Title IV financial aid available

Qualified applicants may use Pell Grants, subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, and tuition payment plans. Your adviser conducts the FAFSA walkthrough during enrollment. Registration fee is $100.

05

A strong fit for recent HS and college grads

You don't need years of experience to get started. Recent high school graduates and college students looking to break into healthcare now are a natural fit — programs are designed to get you credentialed and working in under a year, without a four-year commitment.

Allied-Health Salary Data

What graduates earn in New York State and NYC, starting.

Role 01 / Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant, New York

NY State Average $45,106
NYC Average $47,027
Certified (NYC) $61,227
Top Earners (NYC) $88,702

Source: Salary.com, April 2026. BLS projects 12% growth 2024-2034 with ~112,300 openings/year nationally.

Role 02 / Dental Assistant

Dental Assistant, New York

NY State Average $46,106
NYC Average $56,714
Top Earners (NYC) $77,886

Source: Salary.com, April 2026. NYC top earners reflect specialty and surgical practice settings.

Westchester and lower-Hudson practices pay closer to NYC rates than state averages. Certified Medical Assistants in NYC earn 30% above the state average. Graduates holding the CCMA, NELDA, and RHS credentials qualify for the higher pay tier from day one.

Your Next Step

One 15-minute call. Then you'll know.

An adviser walks you through which program fits your background, what financial aid you qualify for, and the next class start date. Most calls take 15 minutes. You leave knowing whether WSMDA is the right next step for your situation.

What we cover in 15 minutes.

  • 01Whether Medical Assistant, Dental Assistant, Phlebotomy or EKG Tech fit your goals and background.
  • 02What Title IV financial aid you qualify for: Pell Grants, Stafford, PLUS, payment plans.
  • 03The next class start dates that fit your schedule: day, evening, or Saturday cohorts.
  • 04What the externship looks like in working Westchester, Bronx, and Yonkers practices.
  • 05Required enrollment documentation: HS Diploma or GED, photo ID, registration fee, FAFSA inputs.
Schedule Intro Call

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions, answered.

Are Medical Assistant and Dental Assistant roles actually growing?

Yes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 12% growth for Medical Assistants from 2024 to 2034, substantially faster than the 3% national average for all occupations, with approximately 112,300 new openings each year. Dental Assistant demand follows similar trends, especially across NY metro areas where patient demographics are aging into more frequent dental visits.

How long until I am working?

Day-program students typically complete Medical Assistant in 30 weeks (about 7 months) and Dental Assistant in 20 weeks (about 5 months). Evening students complete the programs in 57 and 38 weeks respectively. Externship hours overlap with classroom training, so most graduates begin interviewing during the externship period. The Placement Office reports 88%+ of students placed within 30 days of graduating.

Do I need prior medical or dental experience?

No prior experience is required. Enrollment requires a minimum age of 17, a high-school diploma or GED, and a valid photo ID. The majority of WSMDA students are career-changers entering from retail, warehouse, hospitality, or home-health work — and recent grads from high school and college students looking to break into healthcare now. Curriculum begins with foundations: anatomy, terminology, infection control, and progresses through clinical procedures.

What does the program cost and what financing is available?

Tuition is determined per program based on hour-load and externship placement; financing options are reviewed individually. WSMDA is Title IV-eligible, so qualified applicants may apply Pell Grants, subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, and tuition payment plans. The registration fee is $100. Your adviser conducts the FAFSA walkthrough during enrollment.