AVONDALE, Arizona – The best way to prepare students entering the allied healthcare field is to let them experience it first-hand.
Classroom learning prepares them with critical, foundational knowledge, but externships in actual healthcare environments allow students to work alongside professional medical staff and real patients. That is when the learning "gets real," real fast. It can be overwhelming, but that’s what makes student successful.
Most programs at the SouthWest Skill Center at Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC), feature an important aspect of applied learning through professional externship training opportunities, provided and coordinated by EMCC. This makes many of the graduates confident and prepared for further professional opportunities and immediate careers.
Three healthcare students were selected to speak at the Spring 2015 Completion Ceremony on April 10, based on their accomplishments and peer nominations. Kriscia Morales represented the Medical Billing and Coding program, Ramiro Ramirez for the Medical Assistant program, and Erika Tapia for the Spanish Medical Interpreter program.
Forty-four students receiving their Certificates of Completion were honored at the ceremony. The largest cohort class was the Medical Assistant program with 17 graduates, followed by 19 in Spanish Medical Interpreter, six in Medical Billing and Coding, and two in Precision Manufacturing.
Kriscia Morales, a young mother of two boys, not only achieved a new career for her and her family, she also found a new family with the five other students in her Medical Billing and Coding cohort at EMCC.
According to Morales, she didn’t finish high school and was in a job that was going nowhere, so she decided to get her GED and try to improve her future. Within a month of completing that goal, she discovered the Medical Billing and Coding program, and everything started to fall into place.
“It was just meant to be,” said Morales about her class and classmates. “We were all not in the best of situations and immediately felt connected. We supported and encouraged each other through our studies and in our personal lives. We became family, and friends for life.”
Morales said that medical coding is like learning a whole new language and is very difficult, but she knew accuracy is critical for patient records, treatment and insurance purposes. That inspired her to work hard and excel in her studies.
“It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but now I feel like I can do anything. I went from having nothing to having all these opportunities,” said Morales. “It was meant to be!”
Ramiro Ramirez choose the Medical Assistant program because it provided him the opportunity to learn the many different aspects of the healthcare industry, introducing him to the foundations of patient assessment and pre-treatment.
“The program was fast-paced, but the instructors made it clear for us to understand,” said Ramirez. “Learning something new is always hard, but I knew that skills we were developing would have a positive impact on my life and the patients I will interface with in future.”
It was important for Ramirez to develop excellent patient interaction skills, where he could assist in helping the patient feel comfortable and knowing that he really cares.
Ramirez was a little nervous when he finally had the opportunity to apply his new skills during his externship. He spent five weeks, for 36 hours per week, in a real clinical setting, working with patients and professional medical staff. That’s where and when he realized the benefits of the intense, quality education he received. He felt well-prepared and confident to be a healthcare professional.
Upon graduation, he achieved his goal of getting a job in the southwest valley so that he can “give back” to the community that shaped his future.
Erika Tapia had a background in the creative arts. She attended high school at the Arizona Conservatory for the Arts and Academics, developing her natural skill as a ballet dancer.
However, her desire to pursue a career in the healing arts was more inspiring to her, leading her to research new life pathways. After a friend had mentioned the Medical Interpreter program to her, she felt that was the way to get her foot in the door into the medical industry. With her bilingual abilities, it was a natural fit.
During Tapia’s externship at Banner Thunderbird Hospital, she was able to put her training “on stage.” One of the patients experienced a stroke and Tapia was able to provide interpretation services.
“It was scary, but a bad experience turned into the best experience,” said Tapia “I saw how effective I could be and really help someone in distress. The medial staff complimented me, and the patient recovered!”
According to Tapia, her fellow cohort class at EMCC was very diverse, each with different challenges and stages in their lives, but the class all came together for one purpose: to make a difference in their lives, and making a positive difference in other’s lives. She plans to continue explore ways to advance her medial training and career, possibly nursing or even a doctor.