HDMC Medical Assisting Student Wins CAPPS Scholarship Award!

Congratulations Jimmie Clevenger, for winning the CAPPS Marsha Fuerst scholarship! Jimmie, a Medical Assisting student at HDMC, has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the Marsha Fuerst Memorial Scholarship, given by the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS). High Desert Medical College specializes in training students for in-demand healthcare careers, and we are proud of Jimmie, as well as all of our hardworking students. Jimmie is pursuing her dream of becoming a medical assistant, and you can too – Get started on your path, with healthcare career training from HDMC!

The California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) created the Marsha Fuerst Memorial Scholarship for Women in Medical Assisting in honor of a healthcare sector icon, Marsha Fuerst. Marsha passed away in 2016 after more than four decades as the President of North-West College, an allied healthcare training school first envisioned by Marsha’s mother, Ann Kaisman. In 1965, when Marsha’s mother fell ill and was hospitalized, she asked Marsha to help her realize her dream of opening the college she had just begun to build in West Covina. Marsha fulfilled her mother’s dream, and as President of North-West College, Marsha impacted thousands of students’ lives by equipping them to enter and advance in the healthcare field.

As the recipient of the Marsha Fuerst Memorial Scholarship, a celebratory ceremony was given in Jimmie’s honor. At the ceremony, Jimmie received a HUGE oversized check in the scholarship amount of $5,000. The scholarship money will support Jimmie on her path towards becoming a Certified Medical Assistant.

The Marsha Fuerst Memorial Scholarship is awarded to women who are enrolled in a Medical Assisting training program. Jimmie is a Medical Assisting student at our HDMC Bakersfield campus. Offered at all three HDMC campuses, the Clinical Medical Assisting program is a diploma program that can be completed in as few as 34 weeks (36 semester credits). HDMC’s hybrid learning model includes a combination of hands-on instruction and online theory coursework. The hybrid-online format is perfect for working, busy students, empowering students to attend school to pursue their healthcare career dream, without quitting their current job or sacrificing in their care duties.

Learning from dedicated, experienced instructors, students in HDMC’s Medical Assisting program learn to perform both clinical and administrative tasks, including:

• Greeting patients, answering telephone calls, and scheduling appointments
• Verifying patient information and health insurance
• Updating and filing patients’ medical records
• Recording information in medical recordkeeping systems, such as the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system
• Completing and filing paperwork such as surgical permission forms, health check forms and insurance paperwork
• Preparing the examination rooms
• Preparing and handling medical instruments and supplies
• Measuring patients’ vital signs
• Administering medications and injections
• Collecting and preparing specimens of bodily fluids and tissues for laboratory testing
• Preparing the patient for any scheduled procedures, and answering any questions they may have regarding the procedure

Graduates of HDMC’s Medical Assisting program receive a Certificate of Completion, Medical Assisting diploma, and are prepared to test for nationally-recognized CMA certification.

HDMC is dedicated to providing flexible real-world healthcare training to prepare students for immediate entry-level employment in healthcare careers. Jimmie is pursuing her dream of becoming a medical assistant, and we are so proud she has been honored with the CAPPS Marsha Fuerst Memorial scholarship. If you are ready to pursue your dream of entering the healthcare field, give HDMC a call at 888-633-4362 today! High Desert Medical College, with locations in Bakersfield, Lancaster and Temecula, California, can help you get started on your path of purpose. Our flexible online-hybrid healthcare training programs are designed for people just like you! Get started on your path, with healthcare career training from HDMC!