Jerimiah Grantham: A Passion and a Path to a Medical Assistant Career

With military medic parents, Jerimiah Grantham felt he was a natural fit to a career in healthcare. And although his journey wasn’t exactly a direct route, he now has some 30 years of medical field experience including in his current job as a Medical Assistant.

A Career Shaped by Real-World Medical Experience

When Jerimiah was just 16 years old, he trained to be a first responder with aspirations to become an EMT. Jerimiah loved to learn, so once he earned his EMT certification, he decided to earn certifications focused on wilderness, disaster, and search and rescue medicine. Then he found work at a local clinic where he learned from the medical assistant staff. He took all his skills to volunteer work with nonprofit organizations that send aid to other countries. He was in the thick of it, teaching basic first aid, CPR, and life support to the volunteers who would travel to these other nations.

Gaining the Credentials to Work in Healthcare

Despite decades of experience, for the next phase of his career, Jerimiah would need formal certification. He wanted to be a Medical Assistant and someday pass all his knowledge along to others as a teacher.

“I knew I had a lot of knowledge to give, but I also wanted to be able to say I got my qualifications the right way,” Jerimiah says. “If I was going to teach it, I wanted the credential to back it up.”

Jerimiah’s extensive background made him well prepared for the courses and instruction, but he also recognized there was still more to learn. He enrolled in the Medical Assistant program at Charter College Anchorage and set out on a new path.

Learning the Full Scope of Patient Care at Charter College

Jerimiah found that Charter’s Medical Assistant program provided ways to expand his understanding of the medical field, especially when it came to administrative responsibilities.

“I had always focused on patient care,” Jerimiah explains. “But I didn’t deal much with scheduling, documentation, or insurance. That was a big learning experience for me.”

Through the program, Jerimiah gained a stronger grasp of medical billing and coding and electronic health records. While every clinic uses different systems, learning the fundamentals has already made it easier for him to adapt in real-world settings.

He also appreciated the instructors and staff at Charter College, describing them as supportive and respectful of his experience while still pushing him to grow.

Supporting Medical Assistant Classmates and Building Confidence

Jerimiah’s experience naturally positioned him as a resource for classmates who were new to healthcare. With instructor approval, he often helped others understand skills and concepts, reinforcing his desire to teach.

“Helping teach my peers helped me confirm that this is something I want to do long term,” Jerimiah says. “I liked seeing people get comfortable with concepts that felt intimidating at first.”

At the same time, Jerimiah valued learning alongside others who brought different perspectives and backgrounds into the classroom. The experience reminded him that healthcare is a team effort and that everyone brings something valuable to the table.

Medical Assistant Externship Experience Leads to Employment

As part of his program, Jerimiah completed a Medical Assistant externship at a private medical office in Anchorage. The externship allowed him to apply what he had learned while continuing to grow professionally. Jerimiah was able to utilize his improved administrative skills along with the healthcare knowledge he already had. His experience and willingness to learn stood out, and by the end of the externship, the clinic offered him a position. Jerimiah continues to work at that office today, gaining exposure to new systems and patient needs while he continues to expand his abilities.

Looking Ahead: Teaching and Critical Care

Jerimiah loves what he does, but his long-term goal is to teach. He plans to continue building experience before pursuing instructor opportunities, potentially returning to the classroom to help train future healthcare professionals. Jerimiah is also considering enrolling in Charter College’s Respiratory Therapy program, as critical care has always been an area of interest for him. Jerimiah says that he’s still young at heart and is proud of himself for following his passion.

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