M-DCPS Unveils New Medical Assisting Lab at Miami Carol City Senior High School

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday at Miami Carol City Senior High School, celebrating the opening of the school’s Dual Enrollment Medical Assisting Program medical lab and classroom.

“Students at Miami Carol City Senior High don’t need to go anywhere else to get a head start in a rewarding career,” said Schools Superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres. “Right here at their school, they can earn a high school degree and a stackable credential in medical assistance, providing them with a direct pathway into the high-demand healthcare field. 

The program, now in its third year, is a partnership with Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College, which allows students to earn industry certifications and gain first-hand experience in the field of medical assistance while still attending high school.

There is one large classroom outfitted just like a doctor’s office, with medical beds, mannequins to practice on, and equipment for monitoring blood pressure and other vitals 

There is also a computer center equipped with 25 laptops so that students can work on their modules for the course.

Medical assisting classroom/lab at Carol City Senior High School

“This program opens a pathway for healthcare careers, which are hard to replace with AI,” said Carol City Senior High School Principal Bridget L. McKinney. “There will always be a human to service patients, and this program prepares students to walk into a medical assisting career right out of high school.”

There are 75 students currently enrolled in Carol City’s Medical Assisting Program. From 10^th grade through their senior year, they will take specialized courses each semester focused on medical assisting.

Students will gain hands-on experience by practicing real-world skills such as taking patients’ vital signs, drawing blood, performing electrocardiograms (EKGs), administering injections and medications, and assisting physicians with advanced medical procedures.

“It’s such a life-changing opportunity for our students,’ said 11^th grader Jada Lewis, who is in the medical assisting program, “It’s a gateway to healthcare and a chance for us to start our career while still in high school, and not many can offer that.”

At the end of the school year, students in the program can take a state exam to earn their certification and be ready to work as medical assistants right out of high school. Alternatively, they can use the college credits accrued to obtain a certificate in another medical field, such as nursing, or pursue a degree in medicine.

“This is extremely meaningful. Students will be studying in a brand-new state-of-the-art facility, the medical assist program,” said Rene Mantilla, Assistant Superintendent, M-DCPS Office of Postsecondary Career and Technical Education. “They’ll get their certification in phlebotomy, in EKG, they’ll get the core classes for nursing in case they go into a nursing program later, as well as their medical assisting certification. Very comprehensive. Medical assisting is a key player in a hospital, a doctor’s office, and a clinic.”

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TOP CAPTION: Pictured from left: Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College Principal Yaset Fernandez, Miami Carol City Senior High School Principal Bridget L. McKinney, Schools Superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres,