UCLA’s Medical Assistant Program creates pathway to new careers

_{This article was originally published by UCLA Health}

Herbert Najera was just 12 when his Guatemalan grandfather planted a seed about a career in health care and encouraged him to take school seriously. “He told me, ‘Oye mijo, el mundo está lleno de enfermedades – the world is filled with sick people who can’t afford medical help. If you study medicine, you can help many people.’”

After immigrating from Guatemala to Los Angeles, Najera’s interest was sparked further by a middle-school field trip to UCLA and a volunteer stint at a hospital as a Santa Monica College student. After earning a psychology degree from UC Irvine, Najera was unsure of his next steps when he discovered the UCLA Health Medical Assistant Program(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) (MAP), a partnership with UCLA Extension that has opened doors to health care careers since 2017. 

“I always dreamed of working at UCLA,” said Najera. “MAP made that dream real — it gave me my start in health care, my first job as a medical assistant, and eventually led me to UCLA School of Nursing and now my nursing job at UCLA’s neuropsychiatric hospital(Link opens in new window).”

Gaining knowledge and confidence

The one-year certificate program equips students with clinical and administrative skills, preparing them for medical assistant and other roles across UCLA Health’s network of clinics. Among other duties, medical assistants collect vital signs, administer vaccines, prepare patients before they are seen by physicians and help to ensure smooth operations. 

Of 146 graduates thus far, 115 received job offers to work at UCLA Health. Like Najera, many continue their education and pursue careers as registered nurses, physician assistants or public health professionals. About one in four earn undergraduate- and graduate-level degrees, said Adisa Cartwright, MSN, RN, associate dean of the program. 

UCLA Extension and UCLA Health working together provides "the academic rigor and support that elevates our program beyond a typical certification course,” said Cartwright. “Our students graduate with the knowledge and confidence to step into any clinical setting.”

Compassion for patients 

When Najera started work as a medical assistant in 2019 at the UCLA Health Family Health Center(Link opens in new window), he caught the attention of Nancy Tyre, MD,(Link opens in new window) a family medicine physician at the clinic. Dr. Tyre became a mentor, encouraging him to apply to UCLA’s nursing school, where he earned a master’s degree in 2023.

"Najera stood out early on for his dedication and natural compassion for patients," said Dr. Tyre. "Watching him grow from a medical assistant to a nurse has been inspiring, and I had no doubt he would thrive in his master’s program at UCLA.”

Najera chose psychiatric nursing in part because of his struggles adapting to life in the U.S., feeling homesick and depressed. 

“I still remember the first time I sought health care; it was frightening because I spoke little English,” he said. “A nurse comforted me, and I realized I wanted to be that kind of nurse, someone who could both comfort patients and save lives.”

As a registered nurse at UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital(Link opens in new window), Najera earned a “Rookie Nurse of the Year” award in 2024. By streamlining how vital signs and behavioral observations were recorded, his quality improvement project helped reduce response times for critical incidents and improved overall patient care.

Najera won praise from the neuropsychiatric hospital’s chief nursing officer, Patrick Loney, RN, MBA. 

“By leveraging best practices, Najera has enhanced patient safety through his efforts,” said Loney, who also nodded to the importance of workforce develop initiatives such as the Medical Assistant Program.

“At UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, we have all benefited from programs that support the growth of our nursing teams. MAP, along with other innovative programs, fosters the development of amazing team members, who contribute substantially to high-quality patient care, even in their first year of nursing,” Loney said.

The Medical Assistant Program was conceived as a workforce development initiative to create a pipeline of qualified employees for a growing health system. 

“Our goal has always been to create opportunities for students and UCLA Health,” said Cartwright. “Every graduate is a success story – someone building a career while making a difference in patient lives.”