Dallas College

Student Experience: Karmen McGuffee, RCIS, LMRT

“I graduated from El Centro's Invasive Cardiovascular Technology program in May 2012. I was 42, so this was not my first career. I was suddenly an unemployed, divorced single mom wanting to get into a health care field. 

“Dallas College helped me navigate the waters of obtaining a degree. I’d never gone to college before, so the thought was terrifying at the beginning. Dallas College made that not only possible, but very achievable. The Invasive Cardiovascular Technology program gave me both the book knowledge and the hands-on experience to prepare me for a career in the hospital.

“El Centro’s program prepared me for a career in the Cath Lab, where one thing they do is unblock coronary arteries, and then I found my dream job in the Electrophysiology Lab, where they fix abnormal heart rhythms. Both labs fall under Cardiovascular Services, and in many facilities, the labs share employees because employees are all cross-trained. 

“Electrophysiology requires patience and attention to detail for long periods of time, but I find it very exciting. Every morning I go to work knowing I could have an impact on someone’s life.”  Karmen McGuffee holds credentials as a Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) and Limited Medical Radiological Technologist (LMRT).


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Zlatko Prijic, RRT

Pulmonary Rehab Coordinator Baylor University Medical Center
“I think I'd recommend El Centro to anybody, and I always do. If someone wants to go into respiratory or wants to learn more about respiratory, I point them in that direction.”
Respiratory Care Program
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Jose (Josey) George, RCIS, LMRT

Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist Baylor Garland Hospital
“My training and education at El Centro provided me with the knowledge and skills required to perform my job very well as an invasive cardiovascular specialist. The best part of my job is the satisfaction I gain at the end of each day, due to the fact that I’ve made a difference in my patients’ and their families’ lives by being a part of the lifesaving medical team.”
Invasive Cardiovascular Technology

Lupe Ortiz, RRT, NPS

Respiratory Care Practitioner Baylor University Medical Center
“I chose El Centro one, it was closer to home. It was a little more affordable than going to somewhere out of state or somewhere else. Just those two things were, were the main thing, the reason why I chose to go to El Centro. I think El Centro did an excellent job of preparing me for going into the workforce.”
Respiratory Care Program
Margaret Lembcke

Margaret Lembcke

Health Information Associate II, Parkland Health and Hospital System, Dallas and Baylor Medical Center at Irving
“There’s not a thing I don’t use from the information I learned in the Medical Front Office program. The classes did a very good job of teaching skills that we’d really need. We were always learning from people who have worked in the field, not just learned information in a classroom.”
Medical Front Office
Karmen McGuffee
Karmen McGuffee, RCIS, LMRT
Invasive Cardiology
Invasive Cardiovascular Technology
School of Health Sciences
Updated September 10, 2026