Medical Assistants Are Inspirations!

Every day they touch people’s lives with their extraordinary skills and caring ways. Each issue of Medical Assisting Today shines the spotlight on a medical assistant with a unique story.

 

November/December 2024

A Home Run: CMA (AAMA) Steps Up to the Plate in Sports Medicine

In the spotlight: After retiring from the U.S. Air Force with 23 years of service, Mike Radke, CMA (AAMA), found himself experiencing an adjustment period.  After some self-reflection, he felt a calling to obtain medical assisting skills.

In 2017, at 47 years old, Radke received an associate of occupational studies degree in medical assisting. For the next three years, he worked as a medical assisting educator in a neurology clinic and for Cancer Treatment Centers of America until it closed its Tulsa, Oklahoma, location.

Mike Radke, CMA (AAMA)

“As a combat veteran, I’ve had many bone and joint injuries and three concussions, with one classified as a traumatic brain injury,” he says. “When I initially see patients [with concussion], I know exactly what they’re going through, and it’s rewarding to support them.”

Mike Radke, CMA (AAMA), Medical assistant, Center for Exercise and Sports Medicine, Oklahoma University Health Physicians

“I feel as [if] I have found my niche in life and work and am where I am meant to be."

Fayth McKinney, CMA (AAMA)
Medical assistant in a women’s health clinic

 

September/October 2024

Lifelong Learning: ​CMA (AAMA) Relishes a Career that Keeps Teaching More Skills

In the Spotlight: Fayth McKinney, CMA (AAMA), entered the medical assisting field with 20 years of experience in health care. However, when she landed a permanent position in a women’s care clinic, she realized she still had a lot to learn about gynecological and obstetrical needs. Nearly a decade later, she performs numerous tasks, including assisting the physician with procedures and documenting health information. McKinney believes that the care they provide at the clinic helps improve women’s lives, which is why she is exactly where she is meant to be. 
July/August 2024

A Winding Road: CMA (AAMA) Finds Her Way to Medical Assisting through Various Twists and Turns

In the spotlight: It took Stephanie Wrenn, CMA (AAMA), over a decade to find her way to the medical assisting field. After years of school, work, and raising children, she left her husband and moved in with her parents. When her uncle was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and required hospice, Wrenn stepped up and helped care for him, sparking her passion for medicine. Today, she works in a busy podiatrist's practice. While Wrenn's path to the medical field was complex, she believes medical assisting is her calling.

"I know working in the medical field is what I am supposed to be doing. This is not just a job to get a paycheck. This is something that I am passionate about."

Stephanie Wrenn, CMA (AAMA)
Medical assistant in a podiatrist's office

"I've advanced so much because I truly believe medical assistants are important. You can lead by example at any point in your medical assisting career. Strive to lead; strive to educate. It's a very rewarding career, and I hope [there are] more medical assistants out there who help lead and continue to prove this."

Angela Liffel, CMA (AAMA)
Clinic supervisor at Kootenai Health

May/June 2024

​Follow the Leader: CMA (AAMA) Educates Students, Staff, and Local Chapter Members

In the spotlight: Angela Liffel, CMA (AAMA), puts her medical assisting expertise to good use by educating students, colleagues, and fellow AAMA members. As a clinic supervisor, she helps staff excel in their roles, which brings her job satisfaction. Her passion for education also extends outside of her full-time work--she serves as lead for her local AAMA chapter. She hopes others continue to promote the value of the profession, as she does through education and leadership.


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