Kathy Welch Hudson, director of the NECC Medical Assisting Program, worked for more than 20 years for a Boston Hospital before joining the NECC faculty.
Medical Assisting
Faculty

A medical assisting certificate can lead to an in-demand job now and possibly a health care career later.

Not only is medical assisting one of the fastest growing jobs in the country, says Kathy Welch Hudson, program director of the NECC Medical Assistant Program, it often leads to another health care career like nursing or respiratory care.

Hudson, who also serves as NECC’s Department Chair of the Healthcare Technology and Ambulatory Services within the Division of Health Professions, says medical assistants can work in a variety of health care settings including doctors’ offices, hospitals, clinics, and wellness centers.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Assisting is one of the top 20 fastest growing jobs in the country right now. Healthcare is shifting from inpatient-hospital care to performing procedures on an outpatient basis – sometimes even in the doctor’s office.

“You get to work hands-on taking care of patients with a team of health care providers from all areas. It is truly a great place to start,” she says. “I have many students who complete the Medical Assistant program at NECC, work in a doctor’s office, and return to our nursing, respiratory care, or rad tech programs.”

The nine-month Medical Assistant Certificate Program is offered days at NECC or evenings through iHealth@NECC.

For more than 20 years she worked at Beth Israel Hospital – first as a clinician and then moving into health care administration. She managed and operated several inpatient and ambulatory units before joining the faculty at NECC.

Naturally, Hudson’s vast experiences have provided her with lots of health care “stories”. Sharing these stories is one way she connects to her students.

“Everyone loves a good story,” she says. “The students can relate to a story.”

Conversely, she enjoys hearing her students’ stories as well.

“I enjoy working with students of all ages and helping them pursue their goals,” she says. “I like to hear about their lives and backgrounds and what their overall goals are.”

NECC provides the affordability, flexibility and work/ life balance students need, she says.

Students have so many great opportunities at NECC to get a great education and begin a new chapter of their lives as a health care professional, she says.

“There are no secrets to success,” she offers. “It is a result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”