Past Award Recipients

2009

School of the year: Remington College of Dallas, Texas pics

2008

School of the year: Career Centers of Texas, Fort Worth pics

Proctor of the year: Michelle Camacho, American Commercial College, San Angelo TX pics story

2007

School of the year: Compu-Med Vocational Careers, Hialeah FL pics story

Proctor of the year: Edicson Rodriguez Compu-Med Vocational Careers, Hialeah FL pics story

2005

School of the year: Career Centers of Texas, Fort Worth pics

Proctor of the year: Jereami Saintclair of Kaplan College, Lubbock TX pics

top

Compu-Med Vocational Careers

This past year was such a special time for us here at the NAHP, we watched as a relatively new associate member school pulled ahead of the membership to take the lead and become our "2007 School of the Year."

Over the past 26 years we have encountered a full range of schools and have visited some of the very best private career schools our country has to offer.

Our visit to Compu-Med was among the very best, it is a humble school in stature and equipment, but the people within make this one of the finest schools that our staff has ever visited.

The dedication and enthusiasm shown to us by the staff members of this school stored our faith in the private career industry. These people are doing good things for their students and ultimately for the community they serve. Our visiting group was taken on a tour of the school by one of the owners Ms. Mayra Rodriquez, as she, with much pride, explained to us the programs and all that they had to offer it was evident that they are there for the sole betterment of the students. Thank you Mayra so much for that, I can't think of a more deserving school, group of dedicated instructors and staff than that of Compu-Med at the Hialeah Florida campus as we honor you as our 2007 School of the Year.

Message from the President

We saw in many young people, a strong will to achieve goals that lead to successful futures. We knew that we could help them to succeed.

That is how our institution became what it is now. Along the way we found out how to amalgamate desires and to endow those desires with professionalism.

The fulfilled duty of destiny moves us. We feel as if we have seen a child mature, or as if a tree has straightened over the years to fortify its branches and provide a new sap.

History

Compu-Med Vocational Careers, Corp. was founded in May of 1990, and the corporation was organized in September of 1989. At that time, the school was called Medical & Dental Training Center. In July of 2000, we changed the name of our school, and we are now called Compu-Med Vocational Careers, Corp.

In the beginning, we were located in a small, two-classroom facility on Okeechobee Road, in Hialeah, Florida. The school offered at that time, only Medical and Dental Assistant programs. In April of 1993, the school moved to a larger facility and added the Nursing Assistant program. The school first obtained a grant of accreditation in 1994 and received a renewal of its accreditation in 1996. Over the years, additional programs in English as a Second Language, and Computer Business Application were added. During this time, enrollment grew significantly. As a result, we again moved our school to a larger location, still in the Hialeah vicinity, which is currently our present facility, 2900 W. 12th Ave., 3rd Floor, Hialeah Florida.

In April of 1998, the school established a Branch facility in Miami, Florida, approximately 10 miles from the main school. The school began offering classes in Medical Assistant, Dental Assistant, and Nursing Assistant in May of 1998. Initial accreditation for this location was received in May of 1999. Since then the branch school also experienced a significant increase in enrollment, consequently causing us to move this location to a larger facility. Hence, in October of 2000, our branch facility was finally situated at 9738 S.W. 24th Street, Miami, Florida.

Education Philosophy

Compu-Med Vocation Careers, Corp. is dedicated to provide relevant education and vocational training that will enable our graduates to take advantage of career opportunities within our specialties, and to acquire entry level positions upon graduation. The school provided a comfortable and pleasing environment. The result is always positive. We constantly try to improve by giving the student the most modern learning techniques guided by professionals who make teaching their vocation.

top

Edicson Rodriguez

Self Biographical Synopsis

I am a Medical Doctor specialized in Psychiatry. I was a professor at the University of Santiago de Cuba in 1982 teaching students in the fifth years of their careers the specialty of Psychiatry and at the same time I was seeing patients with diverse medical needs. I gave counseling to these patients and their families too.

While working and teaching, I was President of the Scientific Councils, finishing in July 1997 as a Diplomat in Acupuncture and Natural and Traditional Oriental Medicine. At the same time I was doing various courses as continuing medical education.

My teaching experience that started in September 1992 in Cuba, took place until October 1997 when I came to the United States and found myself in the very difficult sistuation that immigrants go through. In the year 2000 I was able to validate my Bachelor Degree and in April of the same year I finished a course in Developmental and Learning Disorders at the University of Miami in Coral Gables.

In May of 2000 I started working as a student counselor at Compu-Med Vocational Careers, Corp and in January 2001 I was promoted to Medical Assistant Professor. Up to this point I had been performing both functions.

The life of an immigrant is a difficult process. Compu-Med Vocational Careers, Corp was one that brought back my hopes, support, stability, trust and the most important one, the faith of my dreams in continuing teaching. It is an honor to be part of this family, where we have the prestige of being an example to the community and having the responsibility in the training and education of new health care assistants. Today our students are referred to as excellent workers in the medical community.

It is an honor for me to work with NAHP as a proctor from Compu-Med Vocational Careers, Corp. I want to thank NAHP's directive for this.

top

Michelle Camacho

Article from San Angelo Standard-Time (TX)

April 1, 2009

San Angelo woman earns national honor from health-care group
Author: By MATT PHINNEY

Michelle Camacho's style is simple.

She gets her job done quickly, and she gets it done right.

That philosophy earned her the honor of National Proctor of the Year by the National Association of Healthcare Professionals. The award is in recognition of her consistent efficiency and accuracy of administering the medical assistance test for students at American Commercial College, and processing applications and other paperwork for the test.

"To me, the faster I get all that in, the faster (the students) get their certification," said Camacho. "This is an honor. I just try to do it right and give (students) everything they need."

More than 35 people gathered Wednesday at ACC to surprise Camacho, who was presented the award by Jan Schilling, director of national recruitment for National Association of Healthcare Professionals.

Camacho, 30, graduated from Central High School and has worked at the private school for five years. Her family also was on hand for the award.

Camacho "is the best," Schilling said. "There is a certain timeliness and details that she has to follow, and she never fails to meet deadlines."

Camacho is a financial aid coordinator at American Commercial College, which requires her to be detail-oriented, said B.A. Reed, the campus director. Those skills cross over nicely with her role as proctor of the medical assistant test, he said.

ACC is the oldest continuously owned private career college in Texas. Reed opened the San Angelo campus 35 years ago. The college started the medical assisting program about four years ago, which is the fastest-growing career track in American.

It teaches students to run a doctor's office, be the patient-care person and the lab technician, Reed said. "I think her skills and abilities lie in the left-brain mode of detail and accuracy of it all," Reed said. "She is one of those who is cut that way, thank goodness. She has a real desire to do things accurately." Camacho said she was surprised by the award. "I didn't know they were going to do anything like this," she said. "I didn't know they had anything like this."

top