I was promoted from scribe to medical/administrative assistant. Work first hand with Dr. Ben Dirkx, a pain management specialist. I am trained in all front and back office positions in order to successfully manage, and assist in, each clinic day for my provider (assisting injections, bracing, taking vitals, dispensing medications, etc). I also provide administrative support to the medical team. I obtain treatment authorizations for PPO, Medicare, workers compensation and personal injury patients. This involves negotiating with a patient's insurance and integrating the authorizations with the attending's protocol. I speak on behalf of the doctor for relevant phone calls (with patients, attorneys, pharmacists, other physicians), addressing their questions about medications, alternative therapies, and my doctor’s reasoning. Additionally, I am the office contact for pharmaceutical and medical device representatives. I organize and attend all meetings, lunches, and dinners between our doctors and the representatives, and oversee the transition to utilizing new products.

I worked firsthand with a pain management specialist, and orthopedic and spine surgeons. I was the first line contact person for patients. I took their history of present illness, updated their medical records, discussed the treatment plan (included treatment authorizations and reasons for denials), and answered their questions. I presented the patient's to my attending and proposed a treatment plan including injection/surgical levels based on imaging and prior PE's. I then followed the attending into the patient room and completed the office report while they presented the plan. This experience gave me hours of one on one patient contact, proficiency operating and troubleshooting an EMR system, practice reading imaging, confidence in presenting information, and showed me the thought process and bedside manner of successful doctors. I

Following the success of the summer camp I wanted to continue coaching tennis. For 2-5 hours per week during the school year, I set up a portable tennis court at multiple elementary schools as part of an after school program. This was run by the tennis pro at Bacara Resort. I taught kids ranging from kindergarten to 5th grade. Some students were beginners while others were advanced. My favorite player I coached was a 4th grade girl who not only excelled at tennis after never having played before, but also loved the sport so much she wanted private lessons.

I was promoted from back server, with no prior experience, to bartender at a restaurant at a 5-star resort. I served food, sold fine wine/scotch, made drinks, supervised the waiters on the floor, all while managing a complete bar which had Patron and Grey Goose in the well. A steep learning curve is an understatement. I handled feeling overwhelmed and out of place as I took orders from professional athletes and celebrities. I learned efficiency, creativity, and the ability to use intuition effectively. I built relationships by appearing happy and approachable even when everything may have been going wrong. I was asked to return to the job the following summer.

I started as the tennis coach. I taught groups of up to 20 kids ranging from 4th-8th grade. Each day included 4-6 lessons. I taught tennis rules and technique. But most important, I organized games to ensure the kids had as much fun as possible, hoping to spark an interest in tennis. This opportunity excited me. I remember the impact my sports coaches had on me while growing up. Eventually, a group of 4th graders choose me to take over as their counselor. I supervised the group for 8 hours/day, taking them to the various activity stations. Theses kids taught me to approach new experiences with excitement, not doubt, and stay joyous despite stress or situations that don't go your way.

I was chosen by the Saddleback chemistry department to start a trial for a supplemental instruction program. I worked as a teachers assistant for the Department Chairperson's, Dr. Scott Fier's, general chemistry class. I organized group study sessions, taught review classes, and worked as a general walk in tutor. My students included many students older than me, including some over twice my age. I developed confidence, not only in the subject matter, but in myself, by being able to successfully guide peers both one on one and in a classroom setting. The trial was a success, I was brought back the following semester and the program expanded to include math and physics tutoring.