Building a Legacy: Medical Assisting Graduate, Alondra Flores
At Central Coast College, our students are motivated and passionate, and they work hard in their programs to achieve their goals and graduate. Each CCC student is on their own Path to Purpose, and it is our mission to support them as they work towards graduation, and beyond, as they enter the workforce and pursue their passions. We are so proud of all of our graduates! In this installment of Building a Legacy, we highlight CCC Medical Assisting graduate Alondra Flores.
The Medical Assistant program at Central Coast College provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue this rewarding career. Under the supervision of dedicated, experienced instructors, students in CCC’s Medical Assistant program learn to perform both clinical and administrative tasks, including front office management, patient intake and preparing patients for procedures, measuring patients’ vital signs, administering medications and injections, and using the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system. Training modules teach medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology; diagnostic and treatment procedures, as well as medical office procedures and insurance billing. In addition to hands-on practice in supervised labs, students also receive real-world, on-the-job experience through an externship.
Every student at Central Coast College completes a Capstone project, highlighting their externship experience, as a part of their program of study. Alondra Flores, recent graduate of CCC’s Medical Assistant program, wrote in her Capstone project about her externship at the SVMC Cancer Care Center, part of the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare system. 
In her Capstone project, Alondra writes about the value of obtaining hands-on experience in the field, putting into practice the skills she had learned in the classroom at CCC during her time at SVMC Cancer Care. At the SVMC Cancer Care center, Alondra says she was deeply touched by the patients she had the opportunity to work with, many of whom were very ill but still persistently optimistic and kind. Alondra writes, “What surprised me the most was how patients were always optimistic even when they knew how sick they were, they were always so nice and positive. I was around such amazing people… I am extremely thankful to have joined them during my externship.”
At Central Coast College, the Medical Assistant diploma program can be completed in as few as 46 weeks! Graduates of the program complete the required courses, including the externship course and the Capstone project, and receive a Certificate of Completion, Medical Assistant diploma. Upon completion of the program, graduates are prepared to test for a nationally-recognized MA certification. Of earning her National Healthcare Association certification, Alondra says, “…what I am most proud of that I have achieved this year, was definitely passing my NHA exam. Words can never describe the way I felt when I saw ‘pass’ on my screen that day.”
With CCC’s Medical Assisting program, you can pursue your healthcare career goal, just like Alondra. Central Coast College, located in Salinas, California, is here to train people just like you for rewarding healthcare careers. With CCC, you can train for your career as a medical assistant in less than a year! Alondra is building her legacy, and you can too – Contact Central Coast College today!
Pursue your Medical Assisting Career, with Central Coast College!