Director Kathleen Paukert; Instructors Shari Nepstad & Jennifer Darrington
Kathleen Paukert, CMA (AAMA), serves as Medical Assistant (MA) program director at Dakota County Technical College. Kathleen graduated from the program in 1999. She works with two other alumnae of the MA program, Shari Nepstad, BS, CMA (AAMA), Class of 2013, and Jennifer Darrington, BS, CMA (AAMA), Class of 2012.
Medical assisting is an exceptionally rewarding career. The MA role promotes versatility not found in many other health-care professions. With training in three areas of the medical clinic—administrative, clinical, laboratory—MAs demonstrate the flexibility to readily adapt to the ever-changing health-care system.
That adaptability places medical assistants at the top of the job market. Employers seek out medical assistants to fill the majority of clinical positions thanks to the wealth of practical training and knowledge MAs possess.
The medical assistant career provides excellent job security and a bright outlook. According to Minnesota State CAREERwise Education, this career is currently in very high demand and seeing very high growth compared to other careers. The occupational growth rate is 21 percent, which is well above the statewide average.
“We want to educate people that success and fulfillment in the health-care field are not restricted to doctors and nurses,” Kathleen said.
Shari Nepstad, Jennifer Darrington, Kathleen Paukert
Kathleen Paukert, CMA (AAMA)
Medical Assistant Program Director
Kathleen Paukert
Kathleen Paukert has been a practicing Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA)® since obtaining certification in January 2000. A 1999 alumna of the DCTC Medical Assistant program, Kathleen joined the Medical Assistant faculty in fall 2010 and has been the program director since spring 2019.
Kathleen is a member of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and the Minnesota Society of Medical Assistants (MSMA). She is very active in both professional organizations recruiting and maintaining members; she has held a variety of positions on the MSMA board.
“I have never regretted becoming a CMA. It was where I was meant to be.”
— Kathleen Paukert, CMA (AAMA)
Kathleen has work experiences in both clinical and hospital settings. She currently holds a casual position at Northfield Hospital + Clinics. She has also worked as a phlebotomist in the Owatonna Hospital laboratory, and as a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) for Allina Clinic, Park Nicollet Clinic and Apple Valley Medical Center in a variety of medical specialties.
She lives in Northfield, Minnesota, and loves spending time with her two daughters and granddaughter. Her other pastimes include reading, MSMA work, and watching movies. She also enjoys walking through the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and area parks.
Students are the best part of her job at DCTC. She gets great satisfaction in seeing a student grow, personally and professionally, from their first day in class to graduation. Regarding her teaching philosophy, Kathleen strives to incorporate her work experiences into her classes. She feels this connection between the classroom and the outside world will further help DCTC students be successful.
Kathleen Paukert • Q & A
How did your time in the Medical Assistant program prepare you for your career as a CMA (AAMA)®?
Actual hands-on practice; real-world experiences shared by the instructors.
How has the medical assistant career field changed since you graduated from the DCTC program in 1999?
When I started as a medical assistant, we were using paper charts. Everything we did was written by hand in the charts. Now, so much is done with electronic records. It is interesting, though, how much we still rely on paper and pen.
Words that describe you as a health-care professional:
PASSIONATE. TOUGH BUT FAIR. NOT AFRAID TO LAUGH AT MYSELF.
What advice would you give a future college student thinking about a career as a CMA?
Do it! It will be such a rewarding career. Your days will be filled with helping others. You will learn something new every day, meet a new patient every day, work in a team, and be on the front lines of health care. I have never regretted becoming a CMA. It was where I was meant to be.
What is the most rewarding aspect of service as a CMA?
Caring for and helping others.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic made an impact on MA curriculum delivery?
The pandemic has limited the time we can spend with students on campus, which is hard for the students and for us. We see students eight hours a week for lab sessions; before COVID, we were seeing them 16+. So many students learn better in the classroom and labs, and having to limit those opportunities has been a struggle for some. I’m looking forward to being back in the classrooms and labs like we were before COVID.
Kathleen Paukert • 12 Answers
- Favorite sport or physical activity: Walking or hiking through state parks
Place you would most like to visit: Countries my ancestors came from—Ireland, England, Norway and Germany- The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Becoming a mother and grandmother
- Three things you would do if you won a $1 billion lottery: 1) Buy a vacation home (maybe a few) 2) Buy an RV and travel 3) If I couldn’t get there by RV, I’d fly
- Favorite TV show you’re watching now: Mindhunter
- Best movie you’ve seen lately: COVID has restricted this so right now I’m rewatching the Marvel films: Avengers, Captain America, Hulk, etc.
- One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Be debt free
Your national bird if you were your own country: Hummingbird- Dream occupation: Something in genetics
- Person you would most like to meet: Past generations of aunts, uncles, grandparents; I would love to hear their stories about life during their time on Earth
- Skill you would most like to learn and master: A language
- Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Lack of understanding of others and showing empathy
Shari Nepstad, BS, CMA (AAMA)
Medical Assistant Faculty
Shari Nepstad
Shari Nepstad has been teaching at DCTC for almost three years and in the DCTC Medical Assistant program for almost two. After high school, Shari attended Iowa State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Exercise Science. She later attended DCTC and received her Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Medical Assistant in 2013.
Shari has a wide range of experience in the health-care field. Throughout the years, she has served in a number of positions, including:
- Personal trainer
- Cardiovascular monitor tech assisting anesthesiologists with placement of invasive pressure lines
- Clinical assistant
- Stress test tech at a cardiology clinic
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
“A day in the life of an CMA is forever changing. One thing that hasn’t changed is that a CMA will never be caught saying they’re bored.”
— Shari Nepstad, BS, CMA (AAMA)
When she’s not teaching, Shari loves to be with her family, watching her two kids participate in their chosen sports. She’s been married for the past 17 years. Her son is in high school; he plays football and loves to fish and hunt. Her daughter is in middle school and plays basketball, volleyball and soccer. Shari lives with her family in Eagan, Minnesota.
The best part of her job as a medical assistant instructor is working side by side with her students in the program’s labs to help them reach their goals of becoming CMAs. My teaching philosophy is broadly based on the belief that the only way to learn how to become a Medical Assistant, is to practice being one. While listening to lectures and reading textbooks is valuable to gain the core knowledge of the field, the real learning comes through hands-on experiences in labs that I have designed to encourage interaction with each other and use critical thinking to learn as much as possible.
Shari Nepstad • Q & A
How did your time in the Medical Assistant program prepare you for your career as a CMA?
My time at DCTC in the Medical Assistant program gave me the tools I needed to begin my career as an MA. I was able to get hired right after I completed my practicum for the program, I believe, because of the great relationship DCTC has with local health-care clinics.
How has the medical assistant career field changed since you graduated from the DCTC program in 2013?
In health care, things change constantly. From increasing involvement of the patient in the care decision process, to improving patient satisfaction, to staying up to date on new treatments, medications and preventive measures such as vaccinations, and diagnostic screening tools, a day in the life of an CMA is forever changing. One thing that hasn’t changed is that a CMA will never be caught saying they’re bored.
Three words that describe you as a health-care professional:
APPROACHABLE. NONJUDGMENTAL. HAPPY.
What advice would you give a future college student thinking about a career as a CMA?
If this is something you’re thinking about, it’s probably right for you. A CMA is someone who is passionate about helping others and finds the human body, in all its glory, amazingly fantastic! If you’re thinking about, I think it’s fair to say that’s the type of person you are; go for it!
What is the most rewarding aspect of service as a CMA?
Building relationships with patients and advocating for them. Patients might not have family or friends that educate them or connect them with the resources they may need the way a CMA can; that is quite rewarding when you can do that for someone.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic made an impact on your family life?
The pandemic has really slowed things down for my family. Not as many sports to rush off to right after school or work has given us more time to spend together, which has been great; time goes by too quickly when you’re constantly rushed. I will be honest, though, some days too much togetherness is just too much; life definitely has its ups and downs.
Shari Nepstad • 12 Answers
- Favorite sport or physical activity: Favorite sport to play: softball or volleyball; favorite physical activity: jogging with my dog
Place you would most like to visit: Right now during COVID, nowhere; I’m very content to not travel.- The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Giving birth to two healthy babies
- Three things you would do if you won a $1 billion lottery: 1) Donate to a charity or my church, probably both 2) Buy a ranch with horses; I’ve always wanted to own a horse 3) Buy new houses for my parents and siblings
- Favorite TV show you’re watching now: This Is Us
- Best movie you’ve seen lately: Not a good year for new ones so I’ll give you an old one: Christmas Vacation
- One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Be the person God wants me to be
Your national bird if you were your own country: I had to google this one; mourning dove—I love the song they make; it reminds me of springtime.- Dream occupation: Neurosurgeon
- Person you would most like to meet: Madame Curie
- Skill you would most like to master: I think I’m an okay listener, but I also think I could be a much better one.
- Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Social Media creates so many problems—it allows people to say things they wouldn’t normally say to someone in person.
Jennifer Darrington, BS, CMA (AAMA)
Medical Assistant Faculty
Jennifer Darrington
Jennifer Darrington is an instructor in the Medical Assistant program at DCTC. She is also currently working at Northfield Hospital + Clinics, where she’s been serving as a CMA in a variety of medical specialties for the past nine years. She attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Therapeutic Recreation. She attended DCTC and earned an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Medical Assistant in 2012.
Jennifer has worked in numerous positions in the health-care field. She has experience working as a Personal Care Attendant (PCA), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), and Certified Medical Assistant (CMA). She is a current member of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).
“The MA program prepared me so well for my practicum that I was hired before I even finished!”
— Jennifer Darrington, BS, CMA (AAMA)
Jennifer resides in Lakeville, Minnesota, with her three teenage children. She feels she has spent the majority of the past two years of her life teaching them how to drive and spending time at the DMV.
Jennifer enjoys cooking and baking, yoga, swimming, movies, reading, and spending large amounts of time in the sun by a pool.
Seeing the students build their confidence as they gain new knowledge and skills is a favorite part of her job as a medical assistant instructor. “They start out so timid and unsure,” she said, “and it’s fun to see their confidence grow.”
Jennifer’s teaching philosophy is evolving, but she loves to incorporate her work experience into what her students are learning.
“They learn one thing in the classroom, but don’t always understand how or what they will be doing with that knowledge,” she said. “Through my current and past work experience, I can relate what they’re learning to what they will actually be doing once they get out into the field. I think the connection helps them to process what we are teaching them.”
Jennifer Darrington • Q & A
How did your time in the Medical Assistant program prepare you for your career as a health care professional?
I had been out of the workforce for about eight years at home with my kids when I started as an online student at DCTC. The Medical Assistant program was such food for my brain that I just soaked every bit of it in! I loved coming to campus to practice the new skills I was learning.
The program gave me all the tools I needed to successfully transition back into the workplace and work as an MA. The MA program prepared me so well for my practicum that I was hired before I even finished!
How has the medical assistant career field changed since you graduated from the DCTC program in 2012?
This career field is constantly changing so it’s vastly different in a lot of ways from when I first began. Our job requirements change daily or weekly sometimes. Since I am currently working in the field as well as teaching, I hope I can always be equipping my students with the latest and most up to date knowledge.
Three words that describe you as a health-care professional:
APPROACHABLE. HELPFUL. FUN.
What advice would you give a future college student thinking about a career as a CMA?
The cool thing about working as a CMA is there is such versatility. There are so many specialties you can work in, or different types of clinic settings. Tremendous amounts of opportunities to learn many different nursing or lab skills depending on where you choose to work. There is so much variety so you can really tailor your job setting to be something that interests you!
What is the most rewarding aspect of service as a CMA?
Feeling like you made someone’s day just a little easier or better. Being able to give that caring, comforting assistance when someone needs it.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic made an impact on the duties of frontline CMAs?
Our job duties seem to change daily. You really need to have the ability to keep calm and roll with it.
Jennifer Darrington • 12 Answers
- Favorite sport or physical activity: Yoga and swimming; I’m an avid yogi and swimmer (especially in the summer when I can swim outside)
Place you would most like to visit: A tropical island- The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Went on a yoga retreat to Mexico
- Three things you would do if you won a $1 billion lottery: 1) Take a long trip to an island and stay in a luxury resort 2) Help my kids pay for college 3) Tuck the rest away, retire early and travel to every state in the U.S.
- Favorite TV show you’re watching now: My son and I have been watching every Survivor season for the past year; started at season 1 and are currently on season 39! Needless to say, I know a lot of useless trivia about Survivor
- Best movie you’ve seen lately: Super-hard question; I’m going to think back when movie theaters were a thing because that was one of my favorite things to do; two I can recall that I loved in the theater were The Joker and Lady Bird
- One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Feel like I made people’s lives better in some way
Your national bird if you were your own country: An owl; they seem wise and mysterious- Dream occupation: I think it just sounds cool to be an Alaskan fisherman and captain my own boat
- Person you would most like to meet: Michael Scott
- Skill you would most like to learn and master: Glassblowing
- Most important issue or problem facing humankind: One important issue surfacing now and likely to continue for some time is the detrimental mental health effects this past year have created for all of us, but especially in our youth and teens.
More about the Medical Assistant program…
The Medical Assistant program at Dakota County Technical College trains students to work alongside physicians in medical offices and clinics. Expansive cross-training allows medical assistants to perform a range of health-care duties, including:
- Taking medical histories
- Preparing patients for procedures
- Drawing blood
- Obtaining vital signs
- Scheduling appointments
- Collecting lab samples
- Administering medications
The goal of the Medical Assistant program is preparing you to become an entry-level medical assistant (MA) competent in three essential learning domains:
- Cognitive (knowledge)
- Psychomotor (skills)
- Affective (behavior)
Employment in this field typically requires successful completion of the CMA (AAMA) certification exam.
LEARN MORE…
Medical Assistant student gallery
Accreditation and licensing…
The Medical Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or CAAHEP, on recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).
Employment in this field typically requires successful completion of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) Certified Medical Assistant licensing exam.
LEARN MORE…
Learn more about the Medical Assistant program at DCTC by contacting:
Kathleen Paukert, CMA (AAMA)
Medical Assistant Program Director
651-423-8421
Shari Nepstad, BS, CMA (AAMA)
Medical Assistant Faculty
651-423-8352
Jennifer Darrington, BS, CMA (AAMA)
Medical Assistant Faculty
651-423-8540
Erin Lund
Academic and Financial Aid Advisor
651-423-8278
Medical Assistants
Handle administrative and clinical tasks in health care settings.
WAGE
Minnesota
Median: $20.35/hour
High: $23.32/hourSeven-county Twin Cities metro
Median: $20.68/hour
High: $23.47/hourOUTLOOK
In Minnesota, there are 9,950 workers employed in this large career. This career is currently in very high demand. This career is seeing very high growth compared to other careers. The growth rate is 21 percent, which is well above the statewide average. There will be a need for about 14,507 new Medical Assistants to meet market demand between 2018–2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.
