{"id":3025,"date":"2021-11-23T16:59:32","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T16:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/center-professional-education\/?p=3025"},"modified":"2021-11-23T17:26:10","modified_gmt":"2021-11-23T17:26:10","slug":"billee-lassiter-cma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/center-professional-education\/2021\/11\/23\/billee-lassiter-cma\/","title":{"rendered":"College, Confidence, and a Certification: Billee Lassiter\u2019s CMA Success Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"black<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Billee<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Early in high school, Billee<\/span>\u00a0Lassiter<\/span>\u00a0knew she was interest<\/span>ed<\/span> in pursuing a healthcare career\u2014<\/span>possibly\u00a0<\/span>as an\u00a0<\/span>obstetrician<\/span>.<\/span> After coming to UTC and declaring a biochemistry major, she began researching<\/span><\/span>\u00a0how she could <\/span>earn the required patient care hours<\/span>\u00a0for medical school.\u00a0<\/span>As Billee discovered that CMAs work alongside doctors and <\/span>communicate<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>with patients, she decided that she wanted to\u00a0<\/span>acquire<\/span>\u00a0her\u00a0<\/span>CMA certification<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0She enrolled in UTC\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Clinical Medical Assistant Academy, <\/span><\/span><\/a>earned her CCMA certification, and is one step closer to\u00a0<\/span>helping women manage their health and pregnancies<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Marah: What did you enjoy most about the CMA course?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Billee: Before taking the course, I had never even touched a stethoscope, let alone learned its parts. Now, I can name every part of a stethoscope! I loved how much content the course covered. I learned how to take blood pressure, draw blood, give shots, and many other important CMA skills. If you put time and effort into learning the various skills, you will leave the course prepared for a job in healthcare.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I also loved the fast pace of the course. As a busy college student, I am constantly on the go. I enjoyed\u00a0that I was able to get\u00a0certified\u00a0in a few months rather than a few years.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And,\u00a0I enjoyed gaining perspective from\u00a0students\u2019\u00a0in the class who were in different walks of life than me. For example, there were several mothers in the class.\u00a0\u00a0I enjoyed asking the moms, \u201cHey, what\u2019s the best way to approach a child with this question?\u00a0As a parent, how would you feel\u00a0if a medical assistant asked you this?\u201d\u00a0The different perspectives will enable me to be a more understanding\u00a0medical professional.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

M: What were your interactions with the instructor like?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

B:\u00a0Miss Suzette always\u00a0made an effort\u00a0to ask us (the students) how our day was going. If you\u00a0were having\u00a0a bad day, she would listen to and encourage you. She is so caring and\u00a0creates a fun classroom environment!\u00a0I never found myself saying, \u201cI have to go to CMA class.\u201d I said, \u201cI GET to go to CMA class!\u201d The\u00a0three-hour\u00a0night class\u00a0went by fast because of the positive and warm environment Miss Suzette created.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

M: What\u2019s an important lesson you\u2019ve learned while taking the course?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

B: I took the CMA class while also taking undergraduate summer courses. I learned time management because I was required to give an equal amount of effort to each course I was taking, whether it was for academic credit or professional certification. In the CMA course specifically, there are mini-quizzes that serve as checkpoints to make sure you are developing knowledge rather than simply getting by in the course. I had to make sure I was prepared for those on top of my undergraduate studies. All the knowledge I was gaining in each course was beneficial, so I learned the importance of planning ahead and always giving my best.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

M: As an undergraduate UTC student, would you say the CMA course is manageable on top of your regular course load?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

B:\u00a0The CMA course is\u00a0definitely\u00a0manageable! You\u2019ll succeed by\u00a0prioritizing your tasks\u00a0and managing\u00a0your time well. We only met twice a week\u00a0and only had assignments\u00a0due on the days we met.\u00a0The course is also a few months long, so\u00a0you won\u2019t be\u00a0enrolled\u00a0throughout\u00a0your entire undergraduate career. Go for it!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

M: What excites you about becoming a CMA?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

B: I didn\u2019t take this class just because I needed a job; I wanted to learn, develop my knowledge, and prove myself regardless of my age. The course has truly grown me and prepared me for the workforce. Being able to start my healthcare career with a useful skillset and knowledge base gives me confidence in my abilities as a medical professional!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

M: Is there anything else you would share about your CMA course experience?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

B: I appreciated that I was able to learn healthcare skills in a safe environment before I went out\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0medical\u00a0field. Being able to get a lot of my \u201cfirsts\u201d out of the way in an encouraging environment was beneficial. Miss Suzette was great\u00a0about\u00a0letting us ask questions and making sure we immersed ourselves\u00a0in hands-on experience. I would recommend\u00a0UTC\u2019s\u00a0class for anyone interested in becoming a CMA!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/h4>\n

\"Marah<\/p>\n

Marah Whitaker (think Laura with an M) serves as the marketing assistant for the UTC Center for Professional Education. During the workday, she spends time writing blog posts, creating content for social media, developing email campaigns, and building relationships with CPE\u2019s customer base. During her free time, you can find her getting lost in a good book, having spontaneous dance parties, playing piano, and going to Buffalo Wild Wings on Wing Night. Professionally and personally, she aspires to live by Mr. Feeny\u2019s advice, \u201cDream. Believe. Try. Do Good.\u201d She strives to use her passions to serve others and contribute positively to the world around her.<\/p>\n

Connect with Marah on\u00a0LinkedIn.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Early in high school, Billee\u00a0Lassiter\u00a0knew she was interested in pursuing a healthcare career\u2014possibly\u00a0as an\u00a0obstetrician. After coming to UTC and declaring a biochemistry major, she began researching\u00a0how she could earn the required patient care hours\u00a0for medical school.\u00a0As Billee discovered that CMAs work alongside doctors and communicate\u00a0with patients, she decided that she wanted to\u00a0acquire\u00a0her\u00a0CMA certification.\u00a0She… <\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1540,"featured_media":3026,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[108731,110214],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3025","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medical-courses","8":"category-student-success-stories","9":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nCollege, Confidence, and a Certification: Billee Lassiter\u2019s CMA Success Story - UTC Center for Professional Education Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"College, Confidence, and a Certification: Billee Lassiter\u2019s CMA Success Story - UTC Center for Professional Education Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"    Early in high school, Billee\u00a0Lassiter\u00a0knew she was interested in pursuing a healthcare career\u2014possibly\u00a0as an\u00a0obstetrician. 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