When Sarah Moreno had to put nursing school on pause, she knew that wasn’t where her journey into the healthcare field would stop. Knowing her passion was to eventually become a nurse, she saw the Medical Assisting program at GateWay Community College as a quicker path into the field. “I had heard really great experiences from close friends and felt that GateWay was the best fit for my future plans in the medical field,” she said.
Her instincts were correct, shortly after starting the program she landed an internship at Phoenix Children's Hospital. During her internship, she was able to visit different departments and get a feel for what each was like. In addition, she was able to use skills and techniques she acquired from GateWay to provide high quality patient care. Her hard work and persistence paid off. After completion of the internship, she was given a job opportunity in the Orthopedic Department at the hospital.
After graduating this year with her Certificate of Competency in Medical Assisting, she is grateful for the jumpstart the program gave her. “My experience was great to say the least. All the staff there were really helpful in pushing me to achieve the goals that I set. The Medical Assisting program at GateWay taught me the necessary skills and abilities that I needed in order to be successful in my career path,” she said.
Looking back, she has this advice for students getting ready to start the program, “Make sure that school becomes your first priority. Time goes by really fast and there is a lot to learn, but it is the foundational material that is needed to be successful. Use resources such as counseling and tutoring and be part of study groups to help you through it.”
Now that her journey at GateWay is complete, her future in healthcare looks brighter than ever.
To learn more about the Medical Assisting program, please visit: https://www.gatewaycc.edu/medical-assistant