Medical assistants have many job options which will only continue to grow. In order to get a start in this career, you will need to attend and complete one of the available medical assistant programs. With such a wide selection though, finding the right program is tough. There is a difference in their quality. The first thing you want to consider when choosing one of the medical assistant programs is whether or not the program is accredited. The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) has accredited 568 programs in the United States and Canada, so it is best to choose from these as they will be most likely to give you the education that you need. 15 is the number of programs available if you want to start work as a medical assistant in New York. An Ohio medical assistant has far more choices to go through: a total of 54 recognized programs. Even if you happen to live in a state with no accredited programs, there are three accredited distance education programs you can attend.