After her mother got sick and passed away in 1980, Katie S. knew she wanted to pursue a career in the medical field and chose nursing. She originally started her career as a certified nursing assistant in 1991, but after three years, Katie wanted to push herself further and go back to school to become a registered nurse (RN).
“I tried different colleges, but I couldn’t work a full-time job and go to school all at once,” Katie said. “I ended up leaving the medical field all together and going into the automotive industry in 1994.”
After her oldest brother died in 2019, Katie was determined to get back into the medical field. However, she needed to work a full-time job to pay for school and her daily living expenses. Katie found it difficult to balance the two until she found the Medical Assistant (MA) program at Concorde Career Colleges’ Southaven campus in 2020.
Studying at Concorde
Katie appreciated that she could select MA courses that fit around her work schedule. After working a full day as a process auditor for an automotive emissions facility, she would drive an hour and thirty-three minutes to class.
Something Katie initially struggled with was getting back into a student mindset.
“I was a lot older than most of my classmates and I hadn’t been in college for years,” she said. “My teachers helped me push through and reminded me not to compare myself to others.”
Katie’s instructors were her biggest supporters and would always encourage her to keep going, even when she wanted to quit. They made themselves available for a phone call, text message or email whenever she had questions, and many of her teachers came into classes early to go over concepts on which Katie needed clarification.
“They were always there to help me,” Katie said, “There were a lot of times I felt discouraged, but they wouldn’t let me slow down. They gave me exactly what I needed - tough love.”
Katie will graduate in March 2021 and has already been hired as an MA by her externship site, RedMed Urgent Care Clinic.
Practicing Medical Assisting
From the moment Katie stepped into the field she felt confident because of her Concorde education. Her daily tasks include drawing blood, providing medical information to patients, giving vaccinations, as well as other responsibilities. Katie even took part in testing patients for COVID-19.
“I kid you not, I knew everything before I even started my job,” Katie said. “Concorde gave me such a hands-on learning experience and it prepared me for absolutely everything.”
Katie’s favorite part about being an MA is that she not only gets to help her patients, but she also is able to assist her family with their healthcare questions and concerns.
“I’m the youngest of seven siblings so when one of my siblings and rest of the family members needs to see a doctor, I always make sure I educate them and tell them what questions they should be asking,” Katie said. “Everything I do is to help people and Concorde allowed me to follow that dream.”
