Choose ICH for your Medical Assistant Training!
Get to Know our MA Program, with this Instructor Spotlight,
Featuring MA Program Director Teri Weller
Are you interested in a career as a medical assistant? A career as a medical assistant can offer you stability, flexibility, and the chance to help people every day. If you are looking to enroll in an MA training program, choose Integrity College of Health! Integrity College of Health offers a 27-week training program to prepare you with the critical knowledge and competitive skills you need to enter this in-demand profession. Read on to learn more about our MA program, with this Instructor Spotlight featuring MA Instructor and Program Director, Teri Weller.
Teri Weller, RMA, ICH Medical Assistant Instructor and Program Director
With more than 30 years in the medical and educational fields, Teri Weller has a passion for learning, teaching, and helping people. Teri’s teaching experience spans almost 20 years across a variety of vocational schools and institutions of higher learning in the greater Los Angeles area. As an instructor, Teri finds joy and fulfillment in sharing her experiences, knowledge, and wisdom with her students.
Teri began her healthcare career by attending community college and vocational schools to earn her Associate’s of Applied Science degree and attain her Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification. Teri went on to work for Facey Medical, Planned Parenthood and Dermatologist to the stars, Dr. Arnold Klein. Teri worked with Dr. Lyndee Knox, CEO of LA NET, to help pioneer the restructuring of the PCMH (Patient Centered Medical Home), including building and assessing the network of safety net providers focused on quality improvement and health disparities reduction in primary care.
Teri joined the Integrity College of Health family in July 2019, accepting the position as Medical Assistant Program Director. As the MA Program Director and lead MA instructor at ICH, Teri journeys alongside her students from start to finish. First, she teaches them the academic portion of the program. Teri then assigns each student to a carefully matched externship site, taking into consideration each student’s skill set and personality, ensuring the optimum opportunity for employment. Teri supports her students through their externship, staying by her students’ side the entire way from their training program to the job market.
In ICH’s Medical Assistant program, students are prepared to perform the essential skills needed for entry-level employment, including phlebotomy, measuring a patient’s vital signs including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and respiration, setting up and assisting the physician with minor office surgeries, gynecological exams, and other diagnostic procedures. Because the medical assistant role often encompasses clerical tasks as well, ICH’s MA program also teaches students to handle administrative duties including front office management, appointment scheduling, verifying patient information and health insurance, updating and filing patients’ medical records and insurance paperwork. To provide students with the real-world training they need, Teri created a simulation of an exam room reception desk where students can check in patients using a common Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system, escort patients to the exam room, and perform diagnostic testing in preparation for the doctor’s examination. Through this hands-on, supervised practice, MA students are prepared to excel in their externship placement, demonstrating what they have learned and their potential for employment.
Teri believes that it takes a team to treat a patient, and she imparts to her students the value that medical assistants are the backbone of a physician’s practice, clinic, or outpatient facility. Teri encourages her students to take pride in their position, expressing that it takes courage to perform and take responsibility for your role in the treatment and the overall wellness of the patient. Teamwork, courage, and accountability are the building blocks for success in this field.
For Teri, the greatest reward In her time with Integrity College of Health has been the pleasure of supporting students and watching them grow their career in the medical field. Teri says, “The smiles on their faces say it all — how proud they are of their accomplishment, how important they feel in their new medical assisting role, and how their families look up to them in awe. The transformation is beautiful!” Teri always enjoys hearing from graduates about their experience with ICH’s program, and regularly hears from her former students how elated they are with the outcome of their education. Teri welcomes her graduates to come in at any time and share their journey with those walking behind them; these MA graduates bring encouragement, hope and inspiration.
With each New Year comes new ideas, new starts, and new goals. According to Teri, Medical Assistant students and their program is no exception. Teri plans on exposing her students to even more hands-on training and valuable insight by implementing a mentoring program, which would help build the bond among Medical Assisting students and those working in the field, and create a sense of belonging that will enrich their passion for continued growth in their professional skills.
As an MA instructor, Teri is a motivating and inspirational force; as ICH’s MA Program Director, Teri is a respected leader and innovator. MA students at ICH benefit from her depth of experience, vast knowledge, creative teaching style, and willingness to offer personal support and guidance. ICH is lucky to have Ms. Teri Weller! If you are looking to enroll in an MA training program, ICH’s 27-week program could be a great choice for you. Conveniently located in Pasadena, California, ICH offers short program lengths, flexible hybrid-online learning formats, professional instruction, and a Career Services Department to support you as you make the transition from student to the job market. Ready to learn more? Admissions Representatives are standing by to answer your questions, and help you begin the enrollment process. Contact us today!
You Belong Here. Begin Your Healthcare Career, With Training From ICH!