Ms. Catinca Madrazo, head teacher for the Patient Care class here at the Islands, exclaims that the program here at CI “is a great opportunity for students at CI  to see whether or not they would like to be in the medical field.” 

Madrazo said that she teaches many different topics, but the most important ones are the tiers of the pathways, patient care essentials, intro the medical field, and a lot of other hands-on activities. Students also learn how to do CPR, check vital signs, perform sutures and many other health related activities. If students chose to take the patient care pathway again, they learn a more in-depth subject of what they previously have learned.

Madrazo said they also learn how to inject needles “not on themselves, but on models.” They also try to attend as many field trips as possible. Madrazo has so far taken students to White Town, a blood bank, so they get to observe the bank and check their own blood type. 

If students would still like to pursue the medical field they can take it a third year,  but they have to pass with an A or B in the previous class. If seniors were to join for the 3rd year, “They can actually get a job right after high school,” Madrazo said.

Madrazo also said that the reason why she got into the medical field was because “when I was little I was in the hospital for a long time, but I really liked how they treated me especially with so much care.” 

Madrazo has a strong inspiration to influence younger people to help others and that is why she dedicates her time to teaching a medical class here at Channel Islands. She thinks the class is very nice because she wasn’t given an opportunity like the one Channel Islands has given for their students to have a more hands-on experience with the medical field.

Elizabeth Viveros, a student in the patient care program, says, “ I have always had a passion for the medical field¨ Viveros says that she wants to be a sonographer because she has always loved seeing other people happy. Viveros also says that ¨ seeing the face on the parents would make my day.¨ In the patient care class they focus on finding the vitals on a human, and practicing many skills. ¨ The patient care class has taught me many things that I have been wanting to learn for a while.¨

Viveros says that she didn’t have good communication skills but once she joined the patient care class ¨ my communication skills improved dramatically.”

Viveros also says that the field trips they go on are really fun and that they really teach her more about patient care. She is going on a field trip this Dec. 9.

“I can´t wait; it should be lots of fun,” she said.

She has wanted to be a sonographer since she was a little girl. She was at the doctor’s office one day and noticed in the room that some parents were waiting anxiously. When the sonographer came in and showed the parents the baby Viveros said “something in me got struck.”

Viveros knew that she wanted to be a sonographer ever since. So she has since then wanted to focus on that career pathway. Then when the school offered that class, Viveros said, “It was a miracle.”