ABC Training Center

ABC Training Center is an allied-health career school at 50 East Fordham Road in the Bronx that has served the New York City community since 1972, with all programs licensed by the New York State Education Department. Nine certificate programs run from $600 to $4,300: the flagship Clinical Medical Assistant program ($4,300 including registration and books) covers 450 hours with a four-week, 100-hour internship at a medical facility and can be completed in 12 weeks full-time, 24 weeks part-time, or 29 weeks on weekends. Shorter tracks include EKG/phlebotomy (8 weeks, or a 4-week fast track), pharmacy technician (8.5 weeks, evenings, $995), nurse aide (8 weeks with a 4-week fast-track option), and a 3-week home health aide course offered in English and Spanish. Classes run in morning, afternoon, evening, and weekend sessions, and every program offers a payment plan — the part-time medical assistant track, for example, takes $300 down, 23 weekly payments of $170, and a final $90 payment in week 24. Employers recruit on campus, and the school assists graduates with resumes and job placement.