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Medical Assistant Podcast

Michelle Jones, Medical Instructor at Lincoln Tech’s Moorestown NJ campus: Our medical assistant graduates are coming back to us extremely happy with the wages that they're making.

00:00:10

Cathy Garcia, Medical Practice Front Desk Supervisor and Lincoln Tech Graduate: The first thing I would say, just do it. Don't second guess yourself. If there's something that you really want to do, just do it.

00:00:17

Denise Bravo, Professional Medical Assistant and Lincoln Tech Graduate: I had a job upon graduation. And I owe that all to Lincoln Tech.

00:00:22

Yasmine Lozano, Senior Corporate Recruiter at UroPartners LLC: I recommend other health care employers work with Lincoln Tech. I highly recommend that they learn a little bit more about the externship program. That's actually something I had a personal interest in.

00:00:34

Host: Welcome to the official podcast of Lincoln Tech. In this episode, we'll be looking at the medical assistant program. We'll find out what you can expect to learn and what kind of jobs are out there. You'll also hear from instructors, former students and employers who work directly with Lincoln Tech to help you succeed in a field that isn't going away. And Lincoln's promise to our students is simple: we will work tirelessly to help you succeed on the road to new career opportunities. Now let's dive into some details about the program. Let's meet our guests.

00:01:03

Jones: I am Michelle Jones, and I'm a Medical Assistant instructor at Lincoln Tech in Moorestown, New Jersey. I've been a Certified Medical Assistant for 23 years, and I've been training Medical Assistants for 11 years.

00:01:18

Host: As an instructor, can you fill us in on the Medical Assistant program and what it consists of, and even some of the tasks that students are responsible for?

00:01:33

Jones: Medical Assistants work in outpatient facilities such as doctor's offices or urgent care centers. We have students working in outpatient surgery centers and health departments. We even have graduates work at state and county correctional facilities. Our Medical Assistants are running the front office and the back office. In addition to their clinical skills, our Medical Assistants are working the front desk as well. They work scheduling appointments, confirmation calls. They're working in patients’ electronic medical records. They're getting into the billing, insurance and coding part of health care and their clinical skills. They're on the back end doing direct one-on-one patient care. They're doing the vital signs, blood pressure, pulse, respiration. They're taking the patient's temperature, height, weight. Maybe if they're in pediatrics, measuring the infant's head circumference in length.

00:02:27

Host: That’s quite a job description! It must take a good deal of training and practice to be able to manage all of that.

00:02:32

Jones: In addition to those things, the Medical Assistant is also running EKG on a patient's heart. They're drawing blood, doing phlebotomy. They're assisting in minor office surgeries and assisting with the physical exam. So there's a lot of duties that a Medical Assistant is responsible for, from the front office to administration to the back clinical side of it.

00:02:58

Host: How long does a program typically take?

00:03:00

Jones: It’s about an eight-month program. They do six five-week modules or six five-week terms. The course is broken up that way. Then they go off to a five-week clinical internship where they're working hands on directly in a doctor's office. We have preceptors at the doctor's offices in our community that bring on our students and they finish their training hands on.

00:03:27

Host: And as an added bonus, at the end of that process they’re also prepared to take a Medical Assisting certification exam. So now we know the training process from an instructor’s viewpoint. We're also going to hear from an employer in just a few minutes. But first, let's meet some of our graduates.

00:03:45

Garcia: My name is Cathy Garcia. I am a graduate of Lincoln Tech and currently working as a supervisor at Reconstructive Orthopedics.

00:03:54

Host: Kathy, what made you decide to go to Lincoln Tech?

00:03:56

Garcia: So to be completely honest, I loved what I did prior, but I wanted more. I was always the go-to. We didn't have a nurse on site, so I was the go-to person for any bumps, bruises, nosebleeds, anything like that at the daycare. And I always thought I would end up in the medical field somehow, someway. One day I saw an advertisement on TV and I drove over to Lincoln Tech and they ran through everything with me. And right then and there, I decided that I was going to take charge of my life and change something. And I did.

00:04:32

Host: How were the instructors?

00:04:33

Garcia: They're amazing. Amazing. It wasn't like a teacher-student. It felt more like a friend. When I needed anything, they were there. It didn't matter what time of the day, they were there for you.

00:04:49

Host: What kind of training did you get?

00:04:51

Garcia: The training [covered] phlebotomy and EKG, [plus] we learned about the anatomy and then just regular book stuff.

00:05:01

Host: What was your first job after graduation and what did you do before Lincoln Tech?

00:05:03

Garcia: So my first job, I was a teacher's aide for three and four year olds prior to going to Lincoln Tech. And then after graduating from Lincoln Tech, I did my externship at Reconstructive Orthopedics and they hired me.

00:05:19

Bravo: My name is Denise Bravo. I am a graduate of Lincoln Tech in Melrose Park [Illinois]. I graduated in right in the heart of the pandemic around 2020. I believe we had to have a drive-by graduation.

00:05:35

Host: Denise, tell us about your experience.

00:05:37

Bravo: My experience there was one of the most invaluable things I've gone through. The admissions counselor, she was the first person I met, her name was Adela, and she was amazing. She took her time with me. Just trying to figure out what ÑÇÖÞÍø¼t¶µã, because the funny thing is, I actually went to Lincoln Tech to look into the electrical program.

00:05:55

Host: That’s pretty interesting! How’d that come about? Why did you change your mind?

00:05:59

Bravo: As I was touring, we passed through the Medical Assistant area and Adela said that she noticed when we went through that area that I just lit up. And quite frankly, [the medical field] always has been an interest of mine. So we decided to go with that program and it was the best decision I ever made. I learned so much there and I have been a successful Medical Assistant ever since, and plan on continuing my education. I currently work for one of the top ten hospitals in the nation. I'm with Northwestern Medicine. I actually just joined the Northwestern team in January of this year.

00:06:34

Host: Impressive! How has that worked out for you so far?

00:06:36

Bravo: It's been one of the best experiences ever. I work in the specialty clinic in Glenview, Illinois, and I work in pulmonology, which was actually quite interesting because I myself have asthma. So to be placed in that role, it's like a great experience because I can totally relate to the patients. I can empathize with them. I know exactly kind of what they're going through. It makes for a better rapport with my patients here. I've developed some really interesting relationships with some of the patients I work with, and I have a great rapport with all of them.

00:07:12

Host: How long did it take you to land a job after graduation?

00:07:15

Bravo: It did not take me long at all, and the reason was because, you know, we have to do our externship at a facility. So I was paired up with Innovative Express Care where I completed my externship hours. And then before my hours were completed, they invited me to stay. So I had a job upon graduation. I owe that all to Lincoln Tech because, like I said, I would not be where I am without them. And each and every instructor that I had, something resonated with me. And I bring that with me to the job every day.

00:07:50

Host: Talking more about jobs. Michelle, is there a demand for Medical Assistants?

00:07:54

Jones: There is a demand for this job. I did some research and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, their data shows that employment for Medical Assistants is projected to grow 16% - that's like 100,000 new Medical Assistant jobs opening yearly. So there's absolutely no shortage of Medical Assistant jobs out there.

00:08:18

Host: And if you’d like to check those numbers out yourself, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, which Michelle referred to, keeps those statistics at www.onetonline.org. Up next, we have a Lincoln Tech hiring partner who puts some of the Medical Assistant graduates to work.

00:08:34

Lozano: My name is Yasmin Lozano. I am the senior corporate recruiter for Uro Partners and I have been with the company for a little over five years now. Originally I started with just recruitment, so essentially posting all our open positions, conducting phone screening, scheduling of interviews, things like that. As I have grown into a senior role, I've been able to take on full cycle recruitment for positions at all levels, including operations, I.T., billing, clinical laboratory surgery center. We have a large variety that we work with here, so that's been really rewarding.

00:09:12

Host: What role do medical assistants play in your industry?

00:09:14

Lozano: Medical Assistants play a very important role. They're essentially the right hand to the physicians. Our offices have two different setups: in select locations, our MAs work alongside one physician only and then at other offices where we have larger locations where there's up to 6 or 7 providers in one set location, then we may have our Medical Assistants rotate where they actually get to work with a variety of the doctors there. Daily responsibilities for a Medical Assistant would include checking patients in, rooming patients, taking vitals, drawing blood, updating patient notes into our EMR system. Some things that are specific to urology that they get to participate in some small procedures such as prostate biopsies. They assist with catheter removals, urinalysis and bladder scans. So those would be some examples of small procedures that they help out with in an office. Our MAs have expressed that they really enjoy being able to take on more complex clinical responsibility instead of just your normal rooming vitals and drawing blood. So that's some really good feedback that I hear from the Medical Assistants.

00:10:29

Host: What made your company decide to partner with Lincoln Tech?

00:10:32

Lozano: They are an incredible educational institution. As soon as I started working with the Career Services Department, it was very clear to me that they care about their students so much and really want to see them be successful and find jobs related to the ÑÇÖÞÍø¼t¶µã that they're studying. This was really helpful for me because as Lincoln Tech has a Medical Assistant program, as I mentioned, especially in the pandemic, it was really hard to find Medical Assistants. So this essentially just became another tool that I was able to utilize to help me build that pool of candidates.

00:11:05

Host: Can you tell us more about them as a school?

00:11:07

Lozano: Lincoln Tech has been very thorough, really great about communication on any questions that I have. I always receive an email or a phone call same day. The staff is truly incredible in that sense that they're really great about being professional, very concise, and I think that they really prepare the students to go out and be successful on a different level. I work with a number of schools, but I cannot express the number of times that I've heard such positive feedback from managers in regards to Lincoln Tech students specifically, just the work ethic that they bring, the energy they bring. They're really excited to be there. They're eager to learn, hit the ground running.

00:11:44

Host: You’d say that’s not necessarily commonplace when you’re evaluating Lincoln grads vs. other schools?

00:11:49

Lozano: This isn't always common feedback that I received from all schools. So I think just receiving that kind of feedback commonly from all offices, wherever we've sent externs, has been really incredible and we’re really excited about continuing to grow that relationship with Lincoln Tech. So it's been great. I've been going there for career fairs and working with them now since 2019, and we've been placing students every single semester since.

00:12:14

Host: Going back to teaching. Michelle, is there hands on training like working on actual people, and is there lots of bookwork?

00:12:20

Jones: Every day they're practicing or learning a new skill. They may come in in one week, 17 hours, and do blood pressures, pulse, respiration, and then the next week we may add on phlebotomy and EKG while continuing to do their blood pressure, pulse and all their vital signs as we go on. So the goal is by the time the student is ready to start their career, their skills are strong from doing it every day. They're constantly practicing these skills in class.

00:13:18

Host: What's the process of getting or certificate?

00:13:20

Jones: We guide them through the whole process. We never let a student be alone in the process, so they register for their certification. And we typically do that as a class. They get registered and then we schedule their cert date. But prior to that, we want to make sure that they're ready for their certification. And every student is different. We all learn differently. Every student is an individual and we always keep that in mind when it's time to sit for a certification test. There's planning that goes into it on our end that we make sure each individual's needs have been met and they are ready to sit for it and pass it. And that's the goal for us.

00:14:04

Host: You really do walk the student through the whole process, then?

Jones: We schedule it, register together, and they'll take their certification. And once they pass, their certificate actually comes in the mail. That certificate is good for two years. Now, all they need to do beyond that point is recertify. They never have to sit for that test again. Once they're certified, they will just recertify.

00:14:35

Host: What’s the recertification process like?

Jones: All they need to do to recertify is simply stay current in the field. They need to do continuing education units or continuing education credits. And that is they read a little article, maybe something new in health care. When Covid was big, there was a lot of new information coming. So we were always reading our articles and there may be a 10 or 20 question little quiz at the end to make sure that you retain the knowledge that you read. And then they gain credits. Every article they read, they gain credits. So once they're certified to recertify, they just gained their ten little credits that they need and then they're recertified, never having to sit for that test again.

00:15:20

Host: We’re back now with Cathy Garcia, who went from Lincoln Tech student to Front Desk Supervisor. Cathy, what program did you do and did Lincoln Tech help you find a job?

00:15:29

Garcia: I was there full time, so I did the nine month program. They placed me in an externship. But yes, they do help you find a job. I was fortunate to get hired during my externship, but during the externship they were sending out my resume to other companies that were looking for Medical Assistants. There was a bidding war for me, for lack of a better word. Reconstructive and [a competing company] both wanted me.

00:16:00

Host: It seems like thanks to Lincoln Tech, you had to exert minimal effort to find a job.

00:16:04

Garcia: Exactly. They set everything up for me. They set the interview up, they spoke with the representatives there and everything, and all I had to do really was show up and do the interview.

00:16:16

Host: What would you say to somebody contemplating going to Lincoln Tech?

00:16:20

Garcia: Lincoln Tech is a great school. They are all about their students. They are not there for a paycheck at all. If you need help, the instructors are there to help you. It is a small classroom size, so you even have your classmates there to help you as well. During my time I made some friends there that I am currently friends with now and it was the best experience that I had.

00:16:50

Host: And Denise, final thoughts?

00:16:51

Bravo: I'm just so happy where I am and what I'm doing and just being around the patients and helping them. If I can make a patient smile when they're coming in here feeling like garbage, then I know I've done my job. You know, not to brag, but I have gotten praised for that. You know, when they do the patient surveys on how their visit was, I get a lot of nice mentions, but again, I have little pieces of what I learned from every one of my [Lincoln] instructors, and I carry them with me every day. Every day I'm thinking about someone when I'm dealing with a patient and everything that I learned. Because like I said, who would have thought, why little me? I used to work in a warehouse, drive a forklift, you know, I was climbing the ladder in warehousing, but I wasn't happy. You know, it was a job. This after Lincoln Tech is a career and I plan on going nowhere but up. I am 100% happy because there are so many doors here that are opening and I'm learning so much and it's a specialty clinic, so I'm doing a little bit of everything.

00:17:57

Host: Thanks for listening to the official podcast of Lincoln Tech. At Lincoln Tech, your success is our success. If you think you'd like to learn more about the Medical Assistant program, contact Career Services today online at Lincoln Tech and set up a campus tour or talk with an instructor today. Lincolntech.edu.