What made you consider a career in healthcare?
I worked at a restaurant for 14 years and had worked my way up from dishwasher to kitchen manager. My family was growing, but my income was staying the same. I was at the top but we were still living pay check to pay check and I couldn’t afford health insurance.
Why did you choose the Respiratory Therapy Program?
When my daughter was born with a heart defect, everything changed. We were told she would need multiple surgeries and my wife and I decided we didn’t want to rely on AHCCES for her healthcare and didn’t want her to be saddled with bills later in life. It was a huge step for us, but I quit my job and went back to school to obtain a career that would pay the bills and provide health insurance. I began researching the respiratory field after having watched a respiratory therapist work on my daughter when her lungs collapsed. I visited several schools before meeting with an advisor at Pima Medical Institute who was real with me and made me feel at home.
What was your experience at Pima Medical Institute like?
I never felt like I was a good student in high school, but stepping into the Respiratory Therapy program at Pima Medical Institute, I found out I loved to learn! The instructors were fantastic and the classes are set up like building blocks taking someone like me, from a completely different career field, and setting me up to succeed.
How are things going now?
I am currently working at Banner University Hospital, I have health insurance, and my daughter just had her third heart surgery and is doing phenomenal! I love my job and my new profession – thanks Pima Medical Institute!
Do you want to share your story, or maybe you want to update us on what’s happening in your career now? Reach out, we’d love to hear from you!
