Samuel Vojtech

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

Some might think that a person should chose a career & do that till you retire. I beg to differ; I've never seen it written in stone that anyone is born anything. Never quit learning & don't get discouraged by failure.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I was machining a part as a machinist & almost killed myself by a simple error. I said "Maybe it's time to do something else." I quit that job & started school a week later; I was literally the guy off the street learning to give injections. I had always been fascinated by the human body & there's nothing more satisfying than helping someone in need. I went 20 years after High School to go to college & I'm still going to school since 2016.

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I bring patients into an exam room and ask them questions. I then get vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, height & weight. In past jobs I also drew blood from patients and performed lab tests. In short I would get the patient ready to see the health care provider. After the visit, I administer vaccines and/or flu shots, give them paperwork or patient education, then I escort them out. I also do after visit & pre visit tasks such as chart abstraction (reading electronic health records & electronic medical records.) I also call pharmacies or patients directly. Lastly, I am responsible for cleaning exam rooms in between patients and stocking the rooms to ensure anything need is there.

Did anyone ever oppose your career plans when you were young or push you in a direction you did not want to go?

I wanted to be an artist when I was older but was discourage by my father. I understand why but I encourage young people to follow their dreams & be persistent.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

I would, and still, frequent the library. Books are a wealth of knowledge and studying is always helpful. I learned that I personally learn by re writing things & therefore, I always have a spiral, a pen, a book to read in between, & a sketch book.

What is it like when your job gets tough?

It is emotionally stifling but I have acquired skills such as mindfulness & breathing techniques which help tremendously.

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

A professor told me to make flash cards. I thought it worthless but I was reminded that we all learn different ways & my way of learning is writing down things and drawing - copying down pertinent info.

When did you get your first Big Break? How did you get it? How did it go?

My first full time job as a Medical Assistant was at a clinic as a Lab Assistant. Pretty much a dream job. However, I was tasked primarily with drawing blood; I was not entirely experienced with. However, I built my confidence & learned from each draw. Unfortunately, the global pandemic happened & my patients dwindled from about 14 a day to maybe 2. I was subsequently laid off but I had a job almost immediately after with which I needed to be proficient in blood draws.

How did you start building your network?

In school I had an assignment to build a Linked In profile. I was staunchly against it since I did not have social media accounts before that. However, a professor told me "It's a graded assignment. If you don't do it, you might fail." I did build a profile & am forever thankful: I have connected with doctors, CEOs, & NAVY SEALs to name a few contacts.

What is the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are now professionally? How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge was starting a career in healthcare during a global pandemic. No one saw it coming & I wondered if I would get a patient sick, a family member or myself. However, I learned safety measures in school and was able to implement them. I am thankful that I was able to work throughout the pandemic & helped to keep people safe.