Career Spotlight: Interview with a Medical Assistant

This week, Dr. Cameron Ricks interviewed Claudia  Lamadrid about her career as a medical assistant. Claudia also just completed her LVN in nursing school! Each month, our goal is to share a career journey in healthcare, and we hope you will share it with your students as they explore careers for their future!

Check out some highlights from our interview, and watch the entire interview for more.

Tell Us About Yourself.

My name is Claudia Lamadrid, and I have worked at the University of California Irvine (UCI) as a medical assistant for the past eight years. 

What was the career path that led you to where you are today?

In high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I went to college and took courses for everything under the umbrella, and I never thought I wanted to go into the medical field. I started working in retail and was in this field for about eight years. Then I had a daughter and started looking at my options because retail is challenging when you have a family. Someone said that they were in the medical assistant program and that I should look into it. I was a little skeptical. I went to an orientation to get some information, and it sounded like something I could do. I didn’t like blood or needles, but I heard the other side of things and that sounded interesting. 

I liked the idea that I would take care of patients. I started the 18-month program and went to an adult school. I wanted to be in a program that worked with my schedule and family. I attended night school and did all my work in the evenings. I was hired out of this program so that was very beneficial.

Looking for a school wasn’t hard. I found my school through a flyer in the mail. It looked to be the right fit and offered many career paths. As a single parent, I needed to ensure my income would not change. 

What does a medical assistant do?

There are different pathways to being a medical assistant. I am a certified medical assistant, but you don’t have to be. It is an additional test you take when you graduate. At the time, I thought I might move and felt that the certification would be helpful for that. There are different positions and specialties you can focus on. I currently work in a multi-specialty clinic. I rotate through with all the specialists and provide patient care. I support in whatever way is needed. As a certified medical assistant, I can do a little more.

A typical day for me starts quickly. I work with dermatology in the morning, and we start early. Many times we start with surgical procedures. I set up the sterile procedure. I then assist the provider during the procedure, support patients with vitals, and prepare them for their procedure. I also answer any questions they may have and schedule follow-up appointments. We get a lot of patients that just walk in, and I help them as well. I am very approachable to my patients, so they can take advantage of that. We are the front line!

What is your favorite and least favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of my job is teaching the patient. When they have a procedure, I tell them what they need to look for. This way they give us a call if there is an issue or are not feeling well. I feel this is very important. I just finished nursing school, and teaching was one of the big things we focused on.  My least favorite part would probably be being unable to solve problems for the patient. Sometimes I have to hand them off to someone else to help. I feel that it is my role to support, and it can be frustrating when I don’t have an answer.

I truly believe I found my passion and can do the thing that excites me at this next level as an LVN!

Do you have advice for students?

There are many opportunities in the medical field. Find your passion. I would recommend looking into adult schools. The term adult school can be misleading, and there are a lot of students right out of high school who attend. I felt that the adult school gave me the time to work during the day while I attended the night program. I needed to work. Research and find out about the school and ensure it is right for you. Make sure also that the rating and reviews have good reviews. 

Resources for learning more about this career:

Learn more about National Healthcare Association

Learn more about SimRated and schedule a demo with us to help your students prepare for a medical career.