When people are at their worst, Brittany is there to help see them through. Prior to enrolling in FastForward, Brittany was stationed at one of Sentara’s ER registration desks. She already earned a phlebotomy credential and a medical billing and coding credential through Paul D. Camp Community College, but Brittany wanted to keep going.
“Being in the emergency room, I got to work with patients here and there, and I wanted to do more – but, I knew I didn’t want to go into nursing,” she said. “I thought about becoming a medical assistant, which would pull my backgrounds together and allow me to be more hands on with patient care.”
That’s when Brittany discovered the certified medical assistant program at Tidewater Community College. The program went from March to July, where she attended lectures and received hands-on scenario practice.
“One of the things we did that I liked was scenario training, where we learned how to communicate with the patient,” she said. “The teacher would give a scenario, like a patient having high blood sugar, and we’d have to practice calling them back, verifying their ID, getting vital signs and talking them through what was going on.”
As someone who enjoys conversing and talking with patients, the shift from reception to the medical side of healthcare has been a good one.
“I really enjoy interacting with the patients,” she said. “You get to know patients, you learn new things to help care for the patient, they depend on you. If they’re having a bad day or not feeling well, it makes my day better to help them.”
Brittany has been stacking her healthcare credentials to make her a highly trained and qualified candidate. She still works at Sentara, but in a new position that allows her to put her new skills to work.
“Every time I went to school and got more qualifications behind my name, more opportunity became available to me. I feel important here,” she said.
For this particular training, FastForward was flexible and worked for Brittany’s busy schedule. She was able to take classes at night, work overnight and be with her kids during the day. If you’re looking for a solution that can work around your busy life, reach out to a FastForward Career Coach to learn more.