Kishwaukee College graduated its second class of Medical Assistant students during a pinning ceremony earlier this month at the College. Kish pinned four students before family and friends as recognition for their completion of the Medical Assistant Certificate.
Kishwaukee College’s Medical Assistant program trains students to work in clinics, hospitals and other health care facilities, where they complete both administrative and clinical tasks. Through collaboration with area medical partners, Kishwaukee College identified a strong need for qualified medical assistants within the local community and started the program in Spring 2021.
“After graduating from the program, I am so grateful that I did not give up because I am looking forward to such a rewarding career and have become a better person because of it,” graduate Ann Fogelsanger said.
Kish worked to create a state-of-the-art learning space for the program by modeling existing classrooms after medical facilities to include patient rooms, a reception desk and a lab area. Additionally, Kish works with area health care facilities to offer externships and on-the-job training.
“I really enjoyed the classroom and externship. The classroom was made to look like a real clinic, and that really helped when it came to the externship and real-world experience,” said graduate Leticia Cardenas.
Graduates also commended the program for helping make the transition into a professional career as seamless as possible.
“The last semester of the program was designed for career readiness and professional development through building our resumes, preparing for interviews, and even doing in-person interviews with health care professionals from the surrounding area,” Fogelsanger said.
“The program definitely made it easy to find a job after graduation. I have several interviews, which is nice because I also moved out of state, and my instructor was willing to help me find a job,” Cardenas said.
Medical Assistants work as multi-skilled health professionals in a clinical setting. Kish prepares students to become fully certified or registered medical assistants. To learn more about Kish’s accredited Medical Assistant program, visit www.kish.edu/medicalassistant.