At Prism Career Institute, we love celebrating the success of our students. Elizabeth is a graduate of our medical assistant program. In this program, students can develop valuable skills that are needed across a wide spectrum of employment opportunities in healthcare. As a medical trade school, Prism Career Institute is dedicated to preparing our students with the knowledge and experience they need to pursue careers as medical assistants. We offer this program at all three of our campus locations, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and West Atlantic City, New Jersey.
From Fast Food to Healthcare
In the past, Elizabeth enjoyed working as a home health aide. Then she found herself employed in fast food. Working at a fast food restaurant may have been paying the bills, but she didn’t find the work fulfilling. During a conversation with her mom, she decided to find a way back into healthcare.
“My mom said, you would like the medical field, and that’s where everything is,” Elizabeth remembers.
And her mom was right. Elizabeth always loved helping people. “That’s what I love. I’m a healer, that’s the thing I’ve always done.”
Our Medical Assistant Programs
With her mom’s help, Elizabeth started researching opportunities in healthcare, including medical assistant programs. The program where she first enrolled wasn’t the right fit, but then she found Prism Career Institute.
“Prism was the best choice and opportunity,” Elizabeth says. “The process for enrolling was easier, and I was given help when filling out the FAFSA. Everyone made the process so easy.”
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is how qualified students apply for federally funded grants and loans for education.
During her time in the medical assistant program, Elizabeth took courses in anatomy and physiology, phlebotomy, electrocardiography, infection control, and electronic medical records management. She prepared for her new career with classwork that introduced medical law and ethics, clinical procedures, and methods for professional communication with patients.
“I was in remedial classes in high school, and never thought I could do something like this,” Elizabeth says. “But once you have that strong connection with your teacher, and with your school, you can do this.”
Learning at Prism Career Institute
Prism Career Institute prides itself on offering a family atmosphere that is possible only in a small school environment. Everyone knows everyone, and we want to help you become the best version of yourself.
“It was just beautiful,” Elizabeth affirms. “I’ve never had kind of support before.”
Elizabeth describes the learning environment at Prism Career Institute as helping to make sure students are the best versions of themselves. The message from the school is, “I have your back 100%,” she says.
Medical assistant program students at Prism Career Institute have choices when it comes to their schedule. Each campus offers the program during the day, with the Cherry Hill and West Atlantic City campuses offering an evening program. Instruction in the medical assistant program lasts 10 months and includes a career-boosting externship. These exciting learning opportunities enable students to learn out in the community, where they can experience first-hand the different tasks performed by medical assistants.
Advice for Potential Medical Assistant Students
If you are considering a new healthcare career, the medical assistant program at Prism Career Institute can lead to a variety of career paths. The clinical side of this profession may appeal to you. This involves helping patients in examination rooms, administering vaccinations, drawing blood, dressing wounds, and taking patient vital signs and history for the electronic medical record.
Other students may be drawn to the administrative side of medical assisting, which includes scheduling appointments, processing claims and billing documents, and helping guide patients through referral processes. Elizabeth has advice for students who are thinking about applying to the Prism Career Institute medical assistant program, “Go for it, it’s actually a lot easier than you think!”
Discover Your Next Career at Prism Career Institute
Prism Career Institute offers the opportunity to find a career you love while training in a supportive environment. Elizabeth says, “You can do it, and it’s definitely worth it. Becoming a medical assistant is more rewarding than any paycheck you are going to get.”
We offer our medical assistant program at campuses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and West Atlantic City, New Jersey. You can apply online today, or contact us for more information.