Tacoma Medical Assistant Grad Turns Caregiving Experience into a Career She Loves
When Jessica Hoskins’ father fell seriously ill, she stepped in to care for him. Before he passed away, he asked her to make one promise: do the same for her mother.
Jessica kept that promise.
She cared for her mother throughout her illness, discovering along the way that direct patient support came naturally to her. Even during an emotionally demanding chapter for her family, she found genuine purpose in being someone her loved ones could depend on every day.
“Having been caregiving for them, I found that I enjoyed it rather than feeling really burned out,” Jessica said. “It was really rewarding for me, so I decided to make it my career.”
That insight prompted Jessica to move away from retail and customer service roles and transition into professional caregiving. From there, she enrolled in the Medical Assistant program at UEI College in Tacoma, Washington, eager to gain the formal clinical competencies needed to advance in healthcare.
Today, Jessica serves as both a medical assistant and office manager at a medical weight loss clinic—the very location where she completed her externship. In just over a year, she progressed from student to extern to management, with plenty of room for continued professional growth.
Turning Caregiving into a Career
Jessica had worked in customer service at Walmart off and on for several years before her parents became sick. After caring for them, she joined Family Resource Home Care, balancing caregiving shifts with her coursework at the College.
She already knew she loved helping others; medical assisting offered the credentials and technical scope to broaden her career horizons.
The Tacoma campus also fit her demanding daily schedule, particularly as her caregiving responsibilities required frequent travel across Pierce County.
“I needed something that was going to work with my job,” she said. “I worked between Puyallup and Tacoma, and it made sense that I’d be someplace in that area.”
Once enrolled, Jessica gravitated toward the hands-on clinical lab modules. She maximized every hour at the College practicing blood draws, injections, EKG placement, vital signs collection, and other essential clinical competencies.
Her cohort proved vital to that development, creating a collaborative environment where students held each other accountable and pushed one another during lab hours.
Jessica credits her instructor, Ms. Fawn, with instilling the rigor and confidence she relies on daily.
“We walked in, we took vitals, we then moved on to injections, capillary punctures and blood draws, and then on to EKGs,” Jessica said. “She made sure we got extensive practice doing the exact procedures we’d encounter in the clinic.”
That repetition paid immediate dividends in her daily clinical work.
“I administer subcutaneous injections every single day, all day long, in my job,” she said. “If it hadn’t been for Ms. Fawn, I wouldn’t be nearly as confident or proficient in my career.”
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An Externship Becomes a Management Opportunity
After finishing her didactic and lab modules at the College, Jessica completed her 160-hour externship at a medical weight loss clinic located just 10 minutes from home. She recognized almost immediately that she had found a long-term home.
“Once I got through the program and entered my externship, everything aligned smoothly and landed me in a career where I see myself staying long term,” Jessica said.
Beyond enjoying direct clinical care, she found leadership that invested deeply in employee culture.
“I have the best bosses I have ever worked for,” Jessica said. “They know how to appreciate their team and foster genuine loyalty. I couldn’t ask for better leadership.”
The clinic hired Jessica immediately following her externship, later promoting her into an office management role while keeping her active in clinical assisting.
As Jessica has grown, the practice has expanded alongside her, already adding a second clinical site with plans to broaden the original office and service line. Jessica is positioning herself to grow with the company.
“I can easily see myself running one of their clinics in the future,” she said. “I don’t see myself leaving.”
For now, she balances administrative practice management with the clinical procedures she first mastered at the College.
Looking back, Jessica credits her peers and instructors for helping her navigate the transition into a fulfilling healthcare career.
“If it wasn’t for the College, I wouldn’t be here,” she said. “I owe so much to my instructor and my classmates for supporting me and making sure I was ready to excel.”
Her advice to incoming Medical Assistant students is direct: maximize every minute in the lab.
“You have to advocate for yourself and master that practical knowledge,” Jessica said. “Do the blood draws, do the injections, do the EKGs. When it comes down to getting hired, those practical skills are what make the difference.”
