Stories: 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).

Valentina Guzmán César

Pre-Med Student

“There have been moments in my life when I saw how much of a difference one person can make simply by showing up. ... Those experiences drew me toward emergency medicine.”

General Studies

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 (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