$$Richmond Campus graduate Amber Smith has always had a desire to help others, so she feels it’s a privilege to work as a patient relations assistant at the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center, one of the top cancer treatment centers in the country. “I work in oncology, so there are some very heart-warming stories,” Amber said. “My patients make me want to come to work every day. They’re the ones that make me love my job.”
[img]Amber was hired by Markey after earning her degree at American National University and becoming certified as a registered medical assistant (RMA). Although she initially knew very little about the medical assisting field, she learned more about the career when her mother, American National University graduate Dora Smith, encouraged her to visit her alma mater. “I was just looking for something that I could get in and out of [quickly] and get a career for myself,” Amber explained of her attraction to the medical assisting program. “We did research here, and I did my own research, and I fell in love with it.”
As a recent high school graduate, Amber felt comfortable learning in the small classroom setting at National, where she developed both clinical and administrative skills. An externship at Kentucky One Urgent Care, where she worked side-by-side with several other National graduates, also gave her valuable hands-on experience in preparation for her first job in the field. “It gave me [experience in] the clinical side and administrative side,” she recalled. “It was one-on-one interaction with the physician and with the [office staff].”
Today, working as a patient relations assistant at Markey Cancer Center, Amber registers patients and performs scheduling, referrals, and much more. After achieving her career goal in just two short years, she encourages others to consider American National University for their own career training. “I would definitely recommend something in a two-year program,” she advised. “Just because it’s an associate’s degree does not mean you’re not going to get a good job. If it wasn’t for National, I don’t think that I would be where I am now. I would still be looking for jobs.”
A- Amber Smith developed skills in the clinical and administrative sides of the medical office during her medical assisting program at the $$Richmond Campus.
B- Amber found the medical assisting program at American National University to be a perfect fit for her because she could complete her program quickly to get started in her career caring for others.
