The Starting Point: Calynn in the Classroom

Hello again, Carrington Flock! So, we’ve talked about getting started with school, we’ve talked about the first days and initial wonder at the Carrington College California Sacramento campus. Now we can get into the hands-on classroom! These activities have been my favorite part of my education so far and I can’t wait to share it with you. Let’s get to it! In class, we’ve been working on getting comfortable with the typical Medical Assisting tasks – and that means practicing all kinds of things on all kinds of people. Working with a variety of students can be fun, but it can also be difficult. I have made some great friends already, and we’re pretty comfortable working together, but when it comes to practicing giving immunizations or drawing blood, you have to remember to work on everybody. I think that gives me the best practice because, in real life, you won’t necessarily know the patients you’ll be working on and I find myself getting more comfortable with my bedside manner.  I enjoy diving into new things and learning with everybody the most. Giving electrocardiograms (EKGs) is the best, because you are able to see your classmates’ heart waves! I make sure to write down everything the teacher says. During lectures, it is very important to have active listening. When your teacher continues to linger over one certain topic, it is usually a hint that it will be on the test several times. We work with PowerPoint too, so copying down what the slides say is also important. I have stacks and stacks of notes for this one module we’re doing – it makes it so much easier when studying. I just aced the bone identification test, so I always go around telling people the names of their various bones. Go on, try me. It especially helps me to learn through all of our hands-on activities. There is only so much lecturing a teacher can do to help prepare you. But when I just go and dive straight in, I learn faster. I like to watch demonstrations but once I start to actively do something, it starts to click more in my head. My teachers, friends and family have been so supportive of me! I can get a little frazzled with everything going on – I am in the midst of planning my wedding in November and my fiancé always tells me that he is so proud of everything I have accomplished thus far. It just motivates me to work harder for our future. Sometimes I get very overwhelmed with all I have to do, whether at work or at school. Having that great support system to fall back on lifts me up! It is so important to talk about what you are doing, so your friends or family can have a better grasp on what you are dealing with. Till next time, Carrington Flock! Calynn