Medical Assisting Students Explain What Makes the Program Special
What makes Peninsula College Medical Assisting Program graduates so special? According to Rachel Pairsh, the program’s director, there are many factors, the most vital being the students themselves.
“I learn from them every day, and I couldn’t be more proud of their successes,” she said, adding that the best advocates for the program are the students themselves:
“I have always liked the medical field,” said Segopotso “Elsie” Eaton, originally from Botswana, about her experience in the program. “Growing up in a small country, watching my family and friends die, pushed me in to getting in the medical field. I always felt like I could do more than just be there. The MA Program was a better fit for me because it gave me the knowledge I needed to help people. I have learned a great deal of skills throughout the program that are now useful to me as an ER Tech at Olympic Medical Center.”
Student Brandi Adamich states: “I did my research and realized that not only was the Medical Assisting Program everything I wanted; it was in Port Angeles, my home town. Having a medical assisting program in a small town like Port Angeles allows for greater working opportunities for anybody that would like to pursue a career in allied healthcare. My patients inspire me to be a better person every day, and for that I am thankful. The Peninsula College Medical Assisting Program has changed me, for the better!”
Graduate Michael Salyer, a veteran of the United States military, had this to say: “I became interested in the program because I was interested in helping my community, and the MA program at PC allowed for me to stay close to home. The program was thorough, which prepared us for the demands of the medical assisting profession. The externship allowed me to apply the skills and techniques I learned in class to real life situations at a local clinic. Upon finishing the externship, I was offered a job at the site at which I worked, and I am now training to become the clinic manager at VIMO.”
Applications are being accepted now for next fall’s cohort, with a submission deadline of 5:00 pm on June 1, 2017. Applicants should note that there are several immunizations required for program entry, and some series may take 5-6 months to complete.
For more information, visit the Medical Assisting Program’s webpage at:
http://pencol.edu/proftech/medical-assisting or contact Rachel Pairsh at rpairsh@pencol.edu or (360) 417-6414.
