Three Pima Medical Students on Finding Their Path in Allied Health
Not sure where to start in health care? You are not alone. In this episode of Voices of Vital Care, host Nohelani Graf sits down with three Pima Medical Institute students, each at a different point in their journey, each drawn to a different path. Preliyah is training to become a dental assistant. Yvonne is studying to become a medical assistant. Jacque is working toward her veterinary assistant certificate, with plans to continue directly into the Veterinary Technician program.
Three programs. Three stories. One common thread: they showed up before they felt completely ready, and it changed everything.
“When people go into a hospital, they go in asking for or seeking help. These people want to be heard. They want to be seen. They want to be told that it is going to be okay at the end of the day.”
-Yvonne Cantabrana, medical assistant student, Pima Medical Institute
What comes through in every conversation is that these students did not choose health care because it was easy or certain. They chose it because caring for others is something they were already doing. Preliyah knew she wanted to work with teeth since she was a child. Jacque found her calling after watching a veterinary assistant comfort her through one of the hardest moments of her life. Yvonne took six years away from school, saw someone she loved push through every obstacle to become a nurse and decided if her cousin could do it, so could she.
“She has four kids, and she did it. If she can do it, why can’t I?”
-Yvonne Cantabrana, medical assistant student, Pima Medical Institute
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why students from very different backgrounds all found their way into allied health and what drew each of them to their specific program
- What the first weeks of hands-on training actually feel like, including the moments of doubt and the moments that confirmed everything
- How Pima Medical’s clinical externship program places students in real-world settings before graduation, and what students discovered once they arrived
- How Jacque is balancing motherhood and school by working with her advisor to find a schedule that fits her life, including evening classes from 6 to 10 p.m.
- Why Preliyah plans to return to Pima Medical after completing her dental assistant certificate to pursue the dental hygiene program
- What the student community at Pima Medical actually feels like, from the instructors who walk you through every step, to the classmates who become your support system
- Why the allied health field has room for people who are still figuring out exactly where they want to go
Who this episode is for: Anyone considering a first step into health care, career-changers who are not sure which program fits their life and parents or working adults wondering whether they can make it work around everything else they are already carrying.
The opinions expressed in the podcasts are not those of Pima Medical Institute.
You can also watch on Voices of Vital Care’s website:
Watch Episode 1: The Purpose Behind the Practice: Why Allied Health Is a Smart Career Move
Ready to learn more? See how to apply or reach out to the Pima Medical Institute admissions team to find out which program is the right fit for you.
