Several short-term training programs in New York City, some of them free, lead to health care jobs in weeks or months, from 12-week medical assistant courses to state-approved nurse’s aide programs, according to a guide Documented published September 14. The city’s health and social services sector employs more than 800,000 people, roughly 97 percent of New York hospitals report a nursing shortage and 88 percent say they need professionals beyond nurses, Documented reported.

Immigrants have long carried this workforce. About 57 percent of New York City’s health care workers were born outside the United States as of 2025, Documented reported, and several of the entry-level programs are built for people who speak more than one language or who are tied into immigrant communities.

The fastest way in is usually a medical assistant program, which runs 12 weeks full time or 24 weeks part time, Documented reported. The job covers vital signs, prepping patients for exams, helping doctors, scheduling and basic administrative and clinical work, and pays roughly $45,000 to $60,000 a year in the city. You can find these programs through Workforce1, CUNY continuing education, community colleges and employer-run training.