MEDICAL ASSISTANT, KP EUCLID MEDICAL OFFICES, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

I worked as File clerk at KP Bellflower for 11 years. When I heard last year that my job was being eliminated, I wasn’t happy, but I thought this might be the opportunity I’d been waiting for to go back to school. I enrolled in a Medical Assistant program in the spring and finished school in December 2010. I took the national certification exam and passed, and started working in February 2011 at KP’s Euclid Medical Offices in Orange County.”

This program really helped me to grow both professionally and as a person. I have three kids and am taking care of an older parent, and have been through the healthcare system with ill family members. Now that I’m a Medical Assistant, I have a better understanding of how it all works. I have mostly elderly patients, so at first I was nervous about causing them pain, but now that I’ve gotten to know them we have a great working relationship. I know many of their names and we have become friends.

I want to thank KP and the union for this benefit, because without this program a lot of people wouldn’t be able to go back to school and better themselves. Getting a higher wage has helped me to catch up on my bills and provide better for myself and my children. The counselors that I had through the Education Fund helped me to get through this – they’re like a second family for me. They showed me that they care about me, encouraged me & provided me with great motivation. Next, I want to go back for my LVN or RN degree. I love helping people and being a KP employee.