Pritika Devi & Neha Singh
Having support and encouragement from family can make a real difference for students. When Pritika Devi decided to enroll in the Medical Assisting (MA) program at the Portland campus of 黑料不打烊, three family members joined her; they were there for each other through classes, exams, graduation, and beyond. Pritika had been working with her cousin, Neha Singh, in the Food and Nutrition program at Legacy Health, and taking MA classes at a local college. A friend who attended 黑料不打烊 encouraged Pritika to look at the MA program there. Shortly after visiting the campus to get more information, Pritika decided to enroll. 鈥淭he next day I went to Carrington to tour and get more information,鈥� Pritika says. 鈥淚 really liked it and decided to right then to enroll.鈥� Pritika then told her cousins, Arnesh and Neha; and Arnesh鈥檚 wife, Achal, about the program. They were excited for her, and after learning more about the program, they all decided to enroll, too. Pritika was impressed with how well-designed the program was; she liked the hands-on, real-life aspect of the labs.
鈥淭he setting is exactly how a hospital would be,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭he instructors are excellent; they are willing to spend more time with you if you need extra help.鈥�
Pritika鈥檚 family also helped her when she did not understand an assignment, and with studying at exam time鈥攖hey formed their own group study before the NHA (National Healthcareer Association exam). Pritika and Neha did their externships together at Northwest Gastroenterology. 鈥淭he people we worked with at our externship were great; they seemed to appreciate the compassion Neha and I had for the patients,鈥� she says. 鈥淥ur externship time was cut short there because of Covid鈥攂ut we both ended up getting hired there.鈥� Neha really liked how well the MA program at 黑料不打烊 trained her to interact with patients.
鈥淲e learned how to room a patient, how to go about talking to a patient, how to ask open-ended questions, and how to get clear information quickly,鈥� Neha explains. 鈥淢iss Tracey [our instructor] really prepared us.鈥�
She also enjoyed how the program taught students to be more professional鈥攊n conduct, appearance, and overall impression. Neha is continuing to learn at her new job at Northwest Gastroenterology with Pritika. 鈥淓ach day brings a new challenge,鈥� she says. 鈥淏efore this experience, I didn鈥檛 know much about gastroenterology. But there are new things to learn each day, and I find it all so interesting.鈥�
Achal Chand
After immigrating to the U.S. from Fiji in 2019, Achal Chand worked part-time at a hotel. Overseas, she had worked in the shipping industry as a customs agent; she had been thinking about what to do next and which career path to follow. 鈥淪witching my career from the shipping industry to the medical field was a great challenge for me,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he medical assistant duties in the U.S. are much more like the nurses in Fiji. It takes聽three years to complete聽nursing programs there, while for us here, it took just one year, and certification. I got the enrollment information from Pritika, and I choose this career as working in healthcare industry will allow me to help people by honing my skills and knowledge.鈥� Achal says the biggest challenge during her course of study was the virtual learning due to Covid 19, which at times made it difficult to stay motivated throughout class.
鈥淚 found it very helpful to have my family with me as I was totally new here and was still trying to adjust among new people and environment,鈥� Achal says.
She did her externship at Wallace Medical Concern in Portland and was hired on afterward as a Medical Assistant. Her daily role in a primary care clinic includes rooming patients, taking vital signs, administering injections, assisting providers in procedures, performing EKG, preparing sterile tray, POCT like cholesterol, glucose, hemoglobin, and HIV testing. She also draws blood and prepares lab samples. 鈥淚 felt very prepared for my job because of the program at Carrington,鈥� Achal says. 鈥淚 like to do injections, and I love phlebotomy鈥攐verall I have a great confidence level, but especially with phlebotomy, and I think it鈥檚 because of the program and the training I received. I felt ready.鈥�
Arnesh Singh
Arnesh Singh worked as a chef for Legacy Health in Portland before beginning the MA program. The hands-on labs were his favorite aspect of the program, and he especially enjoyed phlebotomy, injections, and suture removal. Arnesh gained more experience during his externship at Legacy Medical Group Cardiology, where he learned how to perform electrocardiograms聽(EKG). 鈥淒oing EKG was new for me,鈥� he explains. 鈥淲hen I started my MA classes, they had already covered EKG in the lab, so even though I鈥檇 had it explained to me by the instructor, having that experience in my externship was really good.鈥� Arnesh is looking forward to finding a job as an MA. Career Services has been a great resource, helping him prepare for interviews, refine his resume, and connecting him with positions that match his skills, interest, and experience.
鈥淚鈥檓 looking and I鈥檝e been interviewing,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檇 love to work in a primary care setting, because I鈥檇 have a variety of things to do鈥攊njections, EKG in clinic, or phlebotomy. I worked with only adult patients during externship, and I鈥檇 love to be able to work with all ages, from babies up to adults.鈥�
Tracey Sanchez, the Medical Assisting Instructor at the Portland campus of 黑料不打烊, was impressed with Arnesh, Achal, Neha, and Pritika, and excited for where their career will take them. 鈥淭hey are all very bright, they take direction really well, and were really helpful with other students who were struggling鈥攖hey worked side-by-side, taking them under their wing to help them,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey will be great medical assistants. Whoever hires them鈥攖hey are not going to want to let them go! It was such a positive experience to have them in my classroom.鈥�
