Gundersen Lutheran Health System Inc.

06/20/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/20/2025 13:24

Training program gives MA a fresh start

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Training program gives MA a fresh start

Friday, June 20, 2025

Cassandra Taylor needed something new.

The 31-year-old had spent eight years as a veterinary technician, but toward the end, she was tired of the work-which required a significant amount of physical exertion and was light on human connection.

"I kept up my good attitude and everything, but I was kind of ready for a change," she says.

As it happened, Cassandra's good friend and neighbor had recently completed Emplify Health by Gundersen's medical assistant training program, so she talked about her experience with Cassandra, knowing she was looking for a new job.

"I'm so happy she did," she says.

A next step, a new journey

While Cassandra didn't have experience caring for people in a healthcare setting, as a vet tech, she performed a lot of the same tasks an MA does in clinic. Knowing she could leverage that knowledge in a new setting, she, too, decided to apply for-and ultimately accept a position in-the MA training program.

"I just feel like I had that little advantage because I did the rooming, I worked on charts, I worked with providers, I kind of know the whole process of how that goes," she says. "But people shouldn't be scared to do it because they don't have any healthcare background. They teach you everything in those four weeks."

Her spring cohort, which began on March 3, was an intensive four-week program of in-person classes, Monday through Friday, followed by Penn Foster online classes one day a week and hands-on training in a clinical setting. During that time, Cassandra and her classmates work with a preceptor-though she's done several tasks on her own-and she'll spend four days shadowing.

For her externship, her preceptor will shadow her. Following that, she'll be able to administer vaccines and train with a nurse who helped her at the beginning of the program. Students have a year to complete the program, but Cassandra just wants to get going in her new career.

"I really wanted to get it done as fast as I could," she says. "I'm almost finished. I'm really at the end here."

What makes the training program unlike many others is that students earn a paycheck through it all. Cassandra says being paid to go to school was a crucial part of making the program work for her. She admits she likes working more than school, but this program has been the exception. It hasn't felt like school because, she says, it's been fun getting to do hands-on training.

"I get paid to work and learn at the same time, and I'm working with a great organization. That was a big thing for me," she says.

'Coming to work here is so much fun'

Cassandra says she had her eye on openings in several different departments, but ultimately ended up in general internal medicine-which she believes worked out for the best. It comes with a one-year commitment, after which time the new MAs could look to change departments. But she doesn't think she'll leave.

"I love my department," she says. "I have a feeling, I said, that I'm going to stay there until I retire."

Several of the clinicians she works with only see geriatric patients-a population Cassandra has come to love.

"I love getting to see these older people. It makes my day," she says. "It's also like their little day out, so it's kind of fun to have those few minutes of socializing with them. I make sure to make it special."

Cassandra says she's always liked the idea of working in healthcare, and she's thrilled she made the switch to this career.

"Coming to work here is so much fun. There are so many amazing people in this organization," she says. "I genuinely enjoy coming to work every day because you get to learn something new every day and work with amazing people."

'There's no room to fail'

Cassandra has nothing but good feelings about the MA training program. It's given her a path to a new career she loves, and it can do the same for anyone-even those with no healthcare experience.

"This change has been great for me," she says. "It's such a good program. I can't say enough good things about it."

The classes can be intimidating at first, Cassandra says, but you can't be afraid to ask questions and ask for help. Everyone-both instructors and classmates-is invested in your success.

"Your classmates are there to help you," she says. "There's no room to fail, in my opinion."

If you'd like more information, visit the MA training program page. The next cohort will resume in 2026.

Gundersen Lutheran Health System Inc. published this content on June 20, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 20, 2025 at 19:24 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io