“If you put your mind to something you really want, you can make it happen!” That’s what Luis wrote in his story below and he proved that to be true during his Pima Medical journey. Luis was focused on earning his associate degree to become a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) and traveled more than five hours a day to get to his classes from his hometown. With support from his instructors, he was prepared for his externship and continued to grow his PTA career following graduation. Luis shared his story in his own words below.
“Attending Pima Medical Institute has really opened doors for me. I worked as a rehabilitation technician at a nursing home in my hometown of Taos, New Mexico for several years. When they offered to help pay for my tuition to become a PTA, I jumped at the chance and enrolled in Pima MedicaI’s program.
The program was very challenging academically and I had my own personal set of challenges as well. When I started my wife was pregnant and we had a one year old. Monday through Friday my daily commute from home to Pima Medical took five hours and I continued working on weekends. I faced challenges of snow storms and my car breaking down and there were times I had to spend the night at classmate’s homes. My instructors were always willing to help and did a great job preparing us for our new careers. When it came time for clinicals, they arranged sites in my hometown where I was exposed to every setting from hospitals to home health. I am appreciative of the extra effort on the part of Pima Medical to make this happen.
I continue to work at Taos Living Center as a PTA treating patients and taking on more responsibility. Recently, I was offered a director’s position at another facility, but I enjoy my job and my wife and I decided the timing wasn’t right for us. I know there will be many more opportunities for me down the road as a result of my education at Pima Medical. I am so appreciative to the people at Pima Medical and my family and friends who supported me. If you put your mind to something you really want, you can make it happen!”
Whether you’re already working in healthcare or you’re starting to explore your options, Pima Medical has been helping students grow their careers for close to 50 years. Our focus is to provide you the best medical career education possible and support you as you become the healthcare professional you’re meant to be.
