Dana Lee: Bringing Fun Into the Medical Assistant Classroom

For 24 years, Dana Lee has been passionately part of the medical world. For most of her career, Dana was hands-on, helping patients get treatment and care at Northwest Medical Associates. She loved her job, but when an opening came up for a teaching position at Charter College in Vancouver, she thought it might be time to share her knowledge with the next generation of Medical Assistants. 

“I wondered if it was the right time to move on from the field work,” says Dana.  

That was more than five years ago, and Dana couldn’t be happier with her decision. 

“My peers here were so nice and welcoming from the very beginning,” says Dana. “I couldn’t believe it when I started.”  

Engaging Medical Assistant Students in Vancouver 

Dana knew she had a lot of knowledge to pass on to future Medical Assistants, but how to do it was another question. Would Charter College allow her to be creative and fun as she taught serious lessons about patient care? Dana says she soon discovered that everyone at Charter was happy to give her own space to teach, encourage, mentor, and motivate her students. 

According to Dana, she tries to make sure that students have a good time while they’re learning. She keeps them engaged and a bit entertained. 

“People will notice that I like to have a lot of fun,” says Dana. “That makes students want to show up more, learn more, and when I put my personality into the lessons, they get excited about it.”  

Dana makes all her classes interactive. She tries to find creative ways to keep her students engaged with their coursework. She might incorporate games into a lesson or provide live demonstrations even when it is not a lab course. And she’s always willing to share stories of her own experiences from when she was working in a medical practice.  

Her students seem to like the approach. End-of-course surveys almost always note how much fun they had in Dana’s classes. They love her and Dana loves that Charter allows her to bring her hands-on, interactive approach to her students. She knows that the more students immerse themselves in their classroom work, the better they will be prepared to build a career as a Medical Assistant.  

Building Confident Medical Assistants 

Another facet to Dana’s teaching is the connection she makes with her students. As she introduces them to blood draws, lab work, and the practical skills of medical assisting, she tries to stay positive. She guides them along the learning journey, helping them acquire new skills and encouraging them to help one another. 

“Typically, when a student first comes into the lab, they’re nervous, but when they get in there and do a procedure for the first time, their faces light up,” says Dana. “And when they get comfortable, they start to mentor the newer students as well.”   

And as time goes on, those Medical Assistant students become better equipped at the tasks of the trade, more able to do the work of a professional Medical Assistant. Dana wants all her students to have a sense of confidence when they leave her classroom so they’re ready for their new career. 

Preparing Vancouver Students for That Next Step 

Dana serves as lead instructor, so her involvement with students goes beyond the classroom. She coordinates externships for students connecting them with facilities in the area. But her commitment to her students doesn’t stop once they’re placed. She stays in contact with both the student and the clinic to see if and how she can help. She even drops by clinics to see her former students in action. She loves to hear about all the exciting work they do, and they are equally excited to share updates with her. Dana also stays connected with their trainers, so she knows if students need any additional training or tips. 

As an instructor at Charter College, Dana has made it her mission to provide her students with as many real-word medical experiences – both good and bad – as possible while they are under her wing until they can fly solo on their own journeys. She says that one of her favorite parts of working at Charter is that she gets to see and be a part of her students’ growth in the field. She always looks forward to seeing them walk across the graduation stage on their way to becoming skilled and respected healthcare professionals.  

Do you want to learn more about the dedicated instructors at Charter College? Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more!