Certified Medical Assistant Denisse Sanchez, right, works closely with Family Nurse Practitioner Meredith Mitchell at White Oak Family Physicians in Asheboro. Sanchez graduated from RCC’s Medical Assisting program in 2014 and loves her job.
Denisse Sanchez loves giving people shots.
It’s just one of the many hats she gladly wears as a Medical Assistant at White Oak Family Physicians in Asheboro. She wouldn’t be wearing those hats, however, without her degree in Medical Assisting from Randolph Community College — or without her children.
“I get compliments,” Sanchez said. ‘You’re a good shot-giver.’ I say, ‘You have no idea how many I do.’ I always tell my patients, ‘I’m going to give you a shot the way I’d want someone to give me or my children a shot.’ I’m always going to take it easy because I know how it can be.”
Sanchez checks the blood pressure and heart rate of a ‘patient’ — in this case, a coworker.
Sanchez always knew she wanted to work in the medical field, hoping to one day be a pediatrician. Fate, however, took a turn and she became a mom at 19 after graduating from Asheboro High School. Sanchez was a stay-at-home mom until a friend and classmate suggested they attend RCC together and earn Medical Assisting degrees. Not sure what exactly Medical Assisting was, the two researched it online.
“We thought, ‘It’s two years. It might not be exactly what we want, but let’s start here,’ ” Sanchez said.
The friends ended up being a part of the second class of Medical Assisting students in school history, helping the College go through the accreditation process. Sanchez smartly got her prerequisites out of the way, so she wasn’t taking a large load of classes her first semester. She graduated in 2014 with two babies in tow — and the “start” turned out to be a career for both graduates as they are still medical assistants.
“To graduate, finally, and get a degree made me feel good,” she said. “Because of [my kids], I decided to get my career. I’ve always wanted to understand, when you go to the doctor’s office — what are they listening to? And I’m a people person — I’ve always wanted to work with the public.”
Sanchez has another tool in her toolbox as well — she is bilingual.
“I’ve been to doctor’s appointments with my parents,” she said. “I’ve seen how people struggle to get their point across. I want to teach my kids that being bilingual will not just help you, but also help other people feel comfortable.”
Sanchez started at White Oak in February 2015 — six months after graduating as she was still trying to get into a routine with her young children.
“I started handing out my resumé — I just took it everywhere,” she said.
Mitchell checks over some paperwork with Sanchez.
Sanchez started as a “float nurse” and then worked with a pair of doctors. When they retired, she returned to float nurse duties. For over a year, she has worked with Meredith Mitchell, a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), who has become a like family for Sanchez.
“We have respect for each other on a professional level, but we’re really good friends,” Sanchez said. “She dog sits for me. She knows my kiddos. We know each other’s families. My husband helped her do remodeling on her house.”
At the office, Mitchell knows she can rely on Sanchez.
“Denisse takes initiative,” Mitchell said. “She does that with patients she’s on the fence about. She has that critical thinking. She’s great. I’m very blessed.”
As a Certified Medical Assistant, Sanchez not only has to think on her feet, but also do everything from blood pressure to blood work to EKGs to home health visits. The main thing she does, though, is give people steroid, antihistamine, or pain-relieving shots, which means that her patients aren’t always in a good mood when they see her.
“It’s always the males who faint,” Sanchez said. “We’ve gotten to the point where we ask them if they’ve had anything to eat. If not, we get them a snack. I try to comfort them — sometimes I’ll have them lie down instead of standing. It’s about making people feel better.
“I learn new things every day, and I feel comfortable enough to ask Meredith if I don’t feel confident in what I’m doing. That level of respect between me and her — it’s big.”
Like all healthcare workers, Sanchez and her coworkers have been through a global pandemic.
“It’s been a huge adjustment,” she said. “It probably made a lot of people not want to do this.”
But that’s part of the job, along with dealing with difficult patients and criticism.
“There’s always going to be something,” Mitchell said. “Years ago, it was the flu, it was the measles, it was polio. There’s always going to be a new virus, a new strain. That’s what they do. They change, they mutate. You have to be OK with following protocol with patients and making yourself safe. You have to be comfortable with the idea that change is inevitable.
“You have to be a people person. You have to like people, and you have to be OK with the nuances of different personalities that come in. You have to be very flexible. You have to be OK with change. That’s huge. Not that I’ve had to give [Denisse] a ton, but you have to be OK with constructive feedback to take care of the patient and get the job done efficiently. Just the willingness to learn.”
Sanchez has some advice for those considering a career in the medical field.
“I would definitely say, ‘Just go for it. Give it a shot,’” Sanchez said.
