Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center - La Crosse, 2025 Community Benefits
Training Program Giving MAs a Fresh Start
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. 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.
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 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 worked with a preceptor and spent four days shadowing. Students have a year to complete the program, but Cassandra just wanted to get going in her new career. “I really wanted to get it done as fast as I could,” she says.
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. “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. 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.” 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 intimating at first, Cassandra says, but you can’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for help. Everyone – both instructors and classmates – are invested in your success. “Your classmates are there to help you,” she says. “There’s no room to fail, in my opinion.”
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 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 worked with a preceptor and spent four days shadowing. Students have a year to complete the program, but Cassandra just wanted to get going in her new career. “I really wanted to get it done as fast as I could,” she says.
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. “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. 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.” 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 intimating at first, Cassandra says, but you can’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for help. Everyone – both instructors and classmates – are invested in your success. “Your classmates are there to help you,” she says. “There’s no room to fail, in my opinion.”
