Western Technical College

    At Western Technical College (WTC), students and graduates of the Medical/Clinical Assistant Program have the opportunity to test through the National Healthcareer Association to earn invaluable certifications for their future careers as Medical Assistants.  Lisa Valdiviezo, who is the Externship Coordinator for the Medical/ Clinical Assistant Program, says “Students can earn a total of three certifications; the fee is included with the students’ books and tools.”  The certifications include the CMAA (Certified Medical Administrative Assistant), CCMA (Certified Clinical Medical Assistant/ Certified Phlebotomy Technician/ Certified Electrocardiography Technician), and the NRCMA (National Registered Certified Medical Assistant).

    Ms. Valdiviezo meets with the students once a week while they are out on their externships at local businesses to provide checkups and friendly advice.  She says “I review one exam with the students each week. On the fourth week the students start testing, depending what Campus the student is from that is where they will be administered the exam.”  It is a rigorous testing schedule but at WTC, and in such advanced and compact courses, it is necessary.

   Margie Hernandez is a 2009 Graduate of the Medical/ Clinical Assistant Program who is working for DaVita Dialysis in El Paso. She says, it is very important to study hard while you are in the program to get through your certifications. Hernandez realized the benefit of the certifications, “I wanted to get more and I did.” Hernandez did just that by walking away with all five certifications. She adds, “Although the current job position I hold did not require the certifications, if I ever need something to fall back on…well, then I have them!”

     “These exams are important to the students because most physicians are now requiring the students to be certified due to liability issues,” says, Valdiviezo. As she herself has taken the exams she knows just how difficult the exams can be, and because of this she is an important asset for counseling current students through the testing process.  Like many of the programs at WTC, one way to help ensure employment for graduating students is to make sure they have all the certifications possible and necessary, in addition to the extensive education in both theory and practice.  With the above noted certifications, students graduating from the Medical/ Clinical Assistant Program are armed and ready for the professional workforce right after graduating from WTC. Hernandez is a good example as she was hired by DaVita Dialysis just one month after graduating.

    Rito Torres, employer of WTC students and Associate Director of Human Resources of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center agrees with Hernandez as he says, “More than one certification will certainly make graduates more marketable in their employment search and that’s important.”