Skip to Main Content Open Alternative Formats of This Page

Juan Carlos Garcia, CMA

“I was always interested in going into a medical field, and I really liked biology in high school. I was working construction, though, at a part-time job when I realized that I wanted to go ahead and go to school so that I could get a better job. 

“The best part of the Medical Assisting program at El Centro was the teachers. They are so knowledgeable about the subject because they have a lot of experience in the field. And they put you in situations in the classroom that are exactly what you’ll face at work. 

“I was already in the Medical Assisting program when I applied for my job; they wouldn’t have even interviewed me without the education and certification. I picked El Centro’s program because it is so well known, and it really helped my chance of getting a good job. 

“I would recommend this program to anyone considering a profession in a medical field. If you want a good job opportunity, get started in El Centro’s Medical Assisting program.” 

In his part-time job with Pediatric Pulmonary Specialists, Juan Garcia works in both the front and back office, verifying insurance, making appointments, checking in patients, taking vital signs, conducting breathing treatments for patients and doing “a little bit of everything.” He is pursuing an associate degree in nursing at El Centro and plans to graduate in December 2010.


Read More

Kim Nguyen

Oanh Kim Nguyen, MLT(ASCP)

Medical Laboratory Technician Methodist Medical Center of Dallas
“My first experience at community college was taking ESL classes at Richland and Brookhaven, which were close to where I lived. Then when I started exploring what kind of program I wanted to take for a career change, I saw Medical Laboratory Technology and transferred to El Centro ... I always tell people who are thinking about community college to think about Medical Laboratory Technology, and I tell them about my personal experience with the program. It’s a stable job, in a quiet environment with a lot less stress than many other medically related fields, and the people are very friendly and professional. I really love my job.”
English as a Second Language (ESL and ESOL), Medical Laboratory Technology
Dolores Schueler

Dolores (Dee) Schueler, BSN, LVN, RN, CRNI

Director of Nurses USBioservices
“Our instructors had high expectations and saw our potential. They let us know that it wasn’t going to be easy, but it wasn’t going to be insurmountable either.”
Nursing
Sylvia Moreno

Sylvia Moreno, BSN, RN

Director of HIV Services Parkland Hospital of Dallas
“Community college gave me everything I needed to take and succeed in classes for an advanced degree.”
Nursing
Shawn Terry

Shawn Terry, B.A., RRT, RCP

Respiratory Care Practitioner, Parkland Health and Hospital System
“Respiratory therapists are not just technicians trained to deliver treatments and therapies with different types of equipment. We have to truly comprehend a wide range of topics and how they relate to a patient’s condition.”
Respiratory Care Program
Juan Garcia
Juan Carlos Garcia, CMA
Certified Medical Assistant Pediatric Pulmonary Specialists

Medical Assisting
School of Health Sciences
Updated November 25, 2025