University student pursuing medical degree takes advantage of dual enrollment at adult school to bolster healthcare experience
Photo by Michele Nicole Gunter
In 2023, Marie Bell was halfway through her four-year journey at California Lutheran University when she opted for something most college students would never opt for in their spare time: More school.
A biology major who hopes to one day become a nurse practitioner, Bell craved real world, hands-on experience in the healthcare field. So she enrolled in the front and back office medical assistant program at Ventura Adult and Continuing Education (VACE).
“I was an occupational therapy aide at the time and I wanted to expand my field,” Bell said of her dual enrollment. “I wanted to get the medical assistant certificate so I would be able to do more patient care and prepare myself for what I might want to do after I graduate.”
“All the classmates were super nice and helpful. I wasn’t there all the time. A lot of the people were there every single day. So when I would get there, they would keep me in the loop and help me through a lot of the things I missed.”
Marie Bell, Ventura Adult and Continuing Education Graduate, California Lutheran University Student
The program was split into two sections: “Front office,” which focused on typing, billing and insurance filing; and “back office,” which taught hands-on medical work, like measuring vitals and administering injections.
Bell learned most of the front office responsibilities online, while the back office lessons required her to attend in person. Overall, Bell enjoyed her hybrid learning experience at the VACE.
“All the classmates were super nice and helpful,” Bell said. “I wasn’t there all the time. A lot of the people were there every single day. So when I would get there, they would keep me in the loop and help me through a lot of the things I missed.”
One of Bell’s VACE instructors, Margie Garzon, had nothing but praise for Bell, calling her “dedicated” and “wicked smart.” Although only a handful of Garzon’s students in the past several years have done dual enrollment at a university like Bell, Garzon believes the VACE medical assistant programs are a good fit for those ambitious students.
[The programs are] for the students that really want to get that edge,” Garzon said. “Maybe they’re applying to a PA [physician’s assistant] program or they want to get those hands-on clinical experiences before they decide they want to go into nursing. It really gives them some guidance and some sound experience to make that huge commitment.”
The medical assistant programs are just some of the many offerings at the VACE. The school also provides high school diploma classes, English as a second language (ESL) classes and programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and more.
The VACE operates under the umbrella of the Ventura County Adult Education Consortium (VCAEC), a collaborative organization that works with several adult schools, school districts, and colleges to offer educational opportunities to students of all ages throughout the region.
Garzon is proud of all the great work the VACE and VCAEC do for their diverse network of students.
“I think that our students come out with the confidence in their skills that they’re able to be competitive in the job market,” Garzon said.
As for Bell, she is on pace to earn her biology degree from Cal Lutheran in spring 2025, after which she will likely attend an accelerated program to gain her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She then hopes to enroll in a nurse practitioner program, where she can begin her dream career.
Looking back, Bell is happy with her choice to attend the VACE and the path it put her on.
“I thought it was an awesome program and it’s pretty accessible for anybody and open for anyone,” Bell said.
For more information about Ventura Adult and Continuing Education, go to adultedventura.edu. To learn more about other schools and programs that are part of the Ventura County Adult Education Consortium, go to vcaec.org.
Written by Jimmy Flynn
| Regions | Classes & Topics |
|---|---|
| South Coast California | Careers in Health Care |
