StoryCorps at SHC: Alma Medina & Michelle Gabriel

Alma Medina (AM): As a little kid growing up, watching my mom deal with her type 1 diabetes, she struggled with giving herself insulin shots, so at times she needed help. So being the eldest, I had to learn how to manage her medications and at times, needed to give her shots for her. So growing up, I think I wanted to help people who needed that extra help, just providing that care for them. That's how I decided that I wanted to work in healthcare.

Michelle Gabriel (MG): If you were to have someone ask you, "What does it take to be a medical assistant? How can I be successful?", what would you say to them?

AM: You have to have a lot of patience. You got to wear a lot of hats. You got to love patient care and love your job. Sometimes when you talk to the patients, I know they're very sick, so sometimes they take their anger out to you. So you need to just listen to them, provide kindness to the patients. And by listening to them, you might provide those extra resources that they might need to manage their disease.

MG: I think sometimes it's like there's that job that's not a job, but it's a calling. Even when the times are hard, it balances out or it's not as hard when it's the right place for you. Thank you for the way that you care for all of our population and care for your teammates.

AM: I guess I'm meant to be where I'm at. I love working with my team. We collaborate well. Everyone's checked in with each other to see how they're doing. You communicate with us, not on just work, but also what we need from you, and I'm so thankful for everything.

MG: Thank you, Alma.

AM: Thank you, Michelle. Thank you for taking the time.

MG: It was my pleasure.

Produced by Stanford Health Care with interviews recorded in collaboration with StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and share humanity's stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world www.storycorps.org

Sound Editor: Emily Hsiao

We use a transcription service, and though we do check for accuracy, there may be errors. Please contact us if you have any questions.