Medical Assistant School Student Profile

Interviewee

Israel Castro
Pima Medical Institute Graduate - June 2005

What drew you to medical assisting?

I've always wanted to be in medicine, and this seemed like a great way to get into the field and see what it’s like. Growing up, I was always intrigued by medical things. And my cousin is a medical assistant. He works in urgent care, and he really likes it. So with all that, it seemed like a good fit.

How did you choose a school?

Pima Medical Institute was close to my house, and I heard they were a good school. Their graduates were finding jobs quickly. It was an easy choice.

How long did it take you to complete the program?

Pretty quick - about 9 months. I was in class 4 hours a day, and then studied a couple more hours. I didn’t go out much, I just concentrated on studying. Because I’d been in the military, I was able to go to school full time, 5 days a week. That helped out.

What part of the program was most interesting for you?

They teach you how to do everything from the paperwork in the front office to the blood draws in the back office. I prefer the back office, like getting people’s vital signs, drawing blood, giving injections. The paperwork doesn’t interest me as much, though it’s necessary.

We practiced the physical parts on a doll first, like finding a vein or giving an injection in the muscle. Then we’d practice on the other students. We learned a lot of biology and anatomy, and some chemistry. The science is good to know, and it’s interesting. I really like dealing with people the most.

Did you get hands-on training too?

Once I finished my classes, I was required to do a 100-hour externship, working in a doctor’s office. That was so interesting. In school you get to know the other students, but in the office you’re meeting new people every day. You don’t know who you’ll meet or what kind of medical conditions they’ll have.

I worked for a D.O. [Doctor of Osteopathy] for the externship. He was a nice guy, and he taught me a lot. He also had a medical assistant working for him, who was doing everything I’d been practicing in school. It was a great experience. I learned to do things I hadn’t done in school, like assisting with a Pap smear. It helped me learn to work directly with patients.

In 5 years, where do you hope to be with your career?

I’m excited about medical assisting, and I hope I can go further with a medical career. I’d like to work with a cardiologist, or someone who does chemotherapy.

I’m also interested in pharmacy – my dad works in pharmaceutical sales – so I’m taking class now at Pima again, in the pharmacy tech program. I’m taking the prerequisites so I can go back to school and become a pharmacist.

Anything you want to add?

I’ve been able to find a job I want, and I love working directly with people, meeting people every day. It feels great to know I could help someone, maybe save someone’s life. This is a good place to be.