Paying it Forward through the Medical Field
From the darkest moments of her life, Gabriela Ortega found something inspiring. She was all alone in a hospital room during the COVID pandemic. At the age of 23, Gabriela had been diagnosed with cancer and she spent many nights receiving treatment with no family allowed at her bedside. During those difficult nights, she found it was the medical staff who offered her comfort.
“It was an instant connection,” she said. “I knew I was going to be OK. You don’t have family there, but you have these people there for you, caring for you, being there for you 24/7. That’s the feeling I want to give to others as well.”
Gabriela had been working at a daycare center and attending college. She stopped working for a year to focus on her cancer treatments and when she regained her health, she found she was no longer interested in what she had been studying in college. Now, she was ready to jump into the medical field. She enrolled in the Medical Assistant program at UEI College in Sacramento.
“It felt great,” she shared. “I was passionate about it. I knew this was something I could do. I love it. I’m all in for it.”
At UEI, Gabriela was able to put her passion to work, learning techniques for becoming a medical assistant and providing care to patients.
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In addition to the skills she needed to start a career, Gabriela also found a community to lean on. When she encountered a difficult situation at home, she brought her concerns to the school and was given resources to help.
“The best part has been going through any of those struggles that anybody is going through, the program was our escape,” she said. “Going there and knowing we were getting our education and getting the knowledge we need and knowing we are going to succeed and get somewhere.”
Gabriela completed the program and is now working as a medical assistant. After four years of being cancer free, she is excited to step back into a medical setting from a new perspective.
“I’m looking out for others and being there for others in their time of need,” she said.
If anyone were considering a career in the medical field, Gabriela’s advice is to follow your passion.
“I would tell them to go for it,” she said. “I know it’s scary. UEI gives you great hands-on training, great instructors, you learn a lot. I would definitely recommend it to others.”
