The CYD Career Academy offers a seven-month postsecondary certificate program in Medical Assisting in partnership with CUNY/BMCC. Before students begin their academic courses, they participate in an eight-week Bridge program run by CYD where they learn customer service and other essential workplace skills. When creating the Bridge, CYD consulted healthcare employers to find out what “soft skills” they valued in job candidates. Their top answer was customer service. Medical assistants are often the first staff members patients encounter in a healthcare setting. They use customer service skills every day, whether it’s talking an anxious patient through getting blood drawn or speaking to a patient’s family to help them adjust to new health expectations.

CYD enlisted a customer service expert to design the curriculum. Deborah Wright, who teaches the course, explained, “Customer service is something you need in every job, and in life. We prepare students for situations they’ll encounter on the job. A patient won’t come back if they’re not treated well.” Katherine Yagual, a Career Academy alumna employed in a dermatology practice, said, “Customer service was one of the most helpful parts of the program. The other people in my office hate when I go on vacation because I’m the best at handling patients!”

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