Taylor K. was studying to be a teacher at a local college when she decided she wanted to switch career paths.
Taylor knew she needed a position that still fulfilled her passion for helping others and enabled her to provide for her 2-year-old-daughter. However, she also wanted a job that presented more of a challenge. That’s when Taylor chose to go into the healthcare field.
“Once I decided I wanted to go into healthcare, my friend told me about Concorde Career Institute,” she said. “She was a student there and really enjoyed it.”
Taylor did her own research on Concorde’s Jacksonville campus and was immediately impressed with its program offerings and employment success rate. She felt that Concorde was the perfect place to start her healthcare journey and began the Medical Assistant (MA) program in March 2020.
Studying at Concorde
Taylor loved Concorde-Jacksonville's MA program, but initially had a difficult start. Not only did she have to adjust to learning mostly online due to the pandemic, but she was also working full-time at a daycare center and raising her daughter.
“It was definitely hard to balance taking care of a kid, working full-time and completing my MA program,” Taylor said. “I was at work from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and would always have to open up my computer to start class during the end of my work day.”
Despite her busy schedule, Taylor persevered with the help of her MA instructors. There were several times that she felt it was too much, but Concorde’s faculty was there to support her.
“My instructors were tough,” Taylor said. “But it was more like tough love so you could be the best they knew you could be.”
Taylor graduated in December 2020 and was hired a week after completing her externship by her externship site, Angel Kids Pediatrics.
Practicing Medical Assisting
As an MA, Taylor helps the doctor determine the diagnosis and treatment of patients. She does this through responsibilities such as taking vitals and correctly filling out patient charts.
“It’s really important to be thorough when you’re responsible for something that can help save a person’s life or make them better,” Taylor said. “If you make a mistake on a chart, for example, you’d be providing incorrect information to a doctor.”
Taylor felt completely prepared for her career after her time at Concorde. She has a stronger appreciation for the role of healthcare workers because of her work during a global pandemic. Taylor and her coworkers are often in charge of COVID-19 testing and are the first to see patients who might be infected with the virus.
“It definitely made me realize how much people take healthcare workers for granted,” Taylor said. “We do a lot, we put ourselves at risk in order to improve the health of others.”
Taylor’s favorite part about her job is cheering up the children she works with at the practice. Her ultimate goal in her healthcare career, however, is to become a registered nurse and she has already begun her prerequisites required for nursing school.
“I love that I get to work in an industry that helps people while they’re in a vulnerable or scary position,” Taylor said. “Concorde helped me get here and I’m thrilled to have just begun a career in the healthcare field.”
