Lisa Giese

What motivated you to pursue a career in Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy?

When I was a young child, the firemen opened up all the fire hydrants and the neighborhood kids would get on their bikes to run through the water. I was riding my bike, hit a curb, and I sliced my foot open really bad. There was blood everywhere and the firemen came over and they took great care of me. They brought me to the fire truck, they put a hat on me and they wrapped me up and I thought oh my gosh I need to do this. They made me feel so much better. I wanted to go into health care to make a difference and make people feel better.

Is there a specific area that you're particularly passionate about teaching?

Medical assistants do so many things. A lot of people don't realize that they are the first person that they will see usually in a physician's office, even specialty offices. So I really love the variety in that–I get to teach a little bit of everything.

Could you give us an overview of what students can expect to learn in your classes?

With the medical assistant program and the phlebotomy program we practice on each other. There is no simulation, there are no virtual labs. The students draw blood, give injections, and perform medical tests on each other before going out in the field and working on real patients.

What's the program like for phlebotomy?

Phlebotomy is a one semester course. The first eight weeks you're in a theory class and then you actually start drawing blood. Students can get a lot of experience out in the field with an externship and it's often a way that they can get hired as well. So that's awesome.

What advice would you give to students who are considering a career in health care?

You need to hone your communication skills. No matter where you are in health care, you're going to be talking to patients, to doctors, to other co-workers. I think another important aspect is organization.

Why should someone consider pursuing a career in medical assistance or phlebotomy?

Phlebotomy is a great stepping stone into the healthcare field because it's a short program. You can get that certificate and it can stack into other certificates which is amazing. I highly recommend medical assisting for students who would love to go into nursing or would love to be a doctor or a PA or a nurse practitioner and maybe they don't have the time or the funds. Medical Assistant offers a great opportunity for them because it's only a one-year program and they can get certified to work in all 50 states.

How do you like to spend your time when you're not teaching?

I love to travel, especially with my family. I love to cruise around the world and see the different cultures and different islands.