Month: November 2019

Clinical Medical Assistant: Training and Certification

In this STEP project, I delved deeper into the two main roles of a clinical medical assistant. In their administrative role, CMAs help schedule appointments for patients, update patient medical forms, and arrange hospital admissions and laboratory services. In their clinical role, CMAs help prepare patients for examination, perform basic laboratory tests, draw blood, remove sutures and change dressings, and take ECGs (electrocardiograms).

When I first heard that there would be skills labs and quizzes, my heart sank a little because I thought this would just be another class filled with work and studying. Little did I know that this would be a course that was more hands-on than any of my other classes, and much more rigorous as a result. Also because there was no one in the class that I knew previously, I thought I would have to study alone. On the contrary, I made a friend named Andrea, a mother of two children who works at a local clinic as a nurse. All the people in that class came from different backgrounds, both in relation to the medical field and just life in general, so it opened my eyes to how beneficial getting this certification really can be.

In the class that I was a part of, I was the youngest person there, with all the other adults already working in the medical field. Some of my classmates are phlebotomists at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and some as assistants at their local hospice facility. Thus, it was especially beneficial for me to see how getting these certifications will impact what I do in the future and I was able to hear many anecdotes of what daily life is like working in the medical field. These men and women wanted to increase their skills and hone in on things they might have struggled with, and thus signed up for this class. They also shared which programs were most helpful for them in case I wanted to take any in the future.

I think the most nerve-wracking skills lab we had was venipuncture, mainly because we did not use medical dummies, we practiced on each other. This not only added pressure because this was a real, living, breathing, human being, but we experience how to react quickly when the patient might wince in pain, or, as it happened to me once, a patient passing out while getting blood drawn. These skills labs provided through the course helped us put what we learned in lecture into practice. It was especially helpful because we were only given two attempts to get it right, so we actually put in a lot of effort to make sure what we were doing was following procedure and was correct.

Lastly, I definitely gained a new appreciation for a field I didn’t really know existed. As someone who gets their blood drawn yearly, I never realized what things could possibly go wrong, and never realized all the things that seem to be behind-the-scenes, or just assumed. From making sure it is the right patient, to being able to find a good vein and making sure you get the blood the first time, it’s definitely something I’ve learned to appreciate. This appreciation also applies to EKG testing, writing patient charts, and scheduling future doctor appointments.

I want to be a medical surgeon that not only understands the working of the human body but who can make advances in diagnosis and treatment using innovative ideas. The human body is an enigma, just like any engineering question you must apply your knowledge to create an innovative solution. With the predominant use of biomedical technology in modern medical practice, it is not enough to just use technology, but you need to understand it enough to innovate and contribute to its design and development. By engaging in research that integrates medicine with engineering to solve problems related to our living system, I will be able to expand my horizons. The rational and systematic route of an engineering mindset will provide me with the versatile skills I will need to creatively approach the ever-evolving challenges of medical care.

Samyoga Institute – RYT 200hr Certification Course

I chose to pursue a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Samyoga Institute of Columbus for my STEP Signature Project. Yoga contains an inherent aspect of self-exploration through meditation, as the physical movement is only a small portion. The emphasis was on teaching students to safely align their bodies while doing various poses, as well as learning many philosophies.

This project was much more than I was ready to take on at the time, which was a learning experience by itself. Due to external struggles outside of academics, I was unable to fully finish the teacher training, although I did learn a lot during the portion of time spent during the training. I learned to give myself more slack, as in, to be less hard on myself during times of heaviness. The timing of this situation led me to realize that adding rigorous education from another program on top of normal academic coursework was not ideal for me. 

However, during the beginning of the training, I learned plenty positive things as well. There are many aspects that pertain to yoga, which are also solely thought of as applying only to yoga, that seep into our everyday lives as well. This was insightful, as yogic practices relating to breathwork can be useful even around exam time!

Additionally, the people I was able to meet during the YTT are such wonderful, courageous people that I was able to learn more about through the sharing of their own experiences. This includes both peers also embarking on the teacher training journey, as well as the mentors teaching the program. The foundation of the program included a very strong support system from both peers and mentors.

We gathered on various weekends for ten hours a day. This time was spent learning history, enhancing our own yoga practices, breathwork, how to translate this information to our future students, and so on. By the end of these long days, walls would break down, and I could feel each of us becoming closer as a group. 

I also learned, though, that these long weekends spilled over into my usual week in regard to my education at Ohio State. It was a long process of confronting myself about whether or not I had too much on my plate, as my biggest priority may become affected. It takes a lot to figure out when you need to take a step back and breathe. 

This entire process, although not traditionally “successful” as I did not complete fully, was very beneficial more my growth as a person. I absorbed a lot of information about myself while attempting the YTT. I believe that the better one knows themselves, the more apt they will be at doing what is right for them, as well as taking a proper, more fitting approach to obstacles and challenges. I also find comfort in knowing that I can re-attempt my yoga teacher training journey, as I was not ready so soon, but will be in the future as I continue to evolve. This experience shared tips and tricks not only for my personal yoga practice, but for life as well. I felt more equipped to deal with future stressors than I was prior to the STEP Experience.