Student story
Christine’s story: “Feel the fear, and just go for it!”
How one learner stepped beyond her comfort zone, discovered supportive online study and built greater confidence in her skills.
Christine Kidd knows how much courage it can take to begin something new. Despite facing significant health challenges, she continued investing in her development and gradually built a strong set of word processing, computing and administration skills.
A new challenge with a clear purpose
Over the years, Christine completed several word processing, computing and administration courses. She became a proficient audio typist and worked from home, but she wanted to strengthen her business skills and broaden the range of contracts she could confidently pursue.
That goal led her to search for a course that could add practical knowledge to the skills she had already developed.
Taking the first step
Christine found The Career Academy online and felt the Certificate in Medical Reception could be a good fit. A conversation with Amy from the student support team helped her understand the course content and payment arrangements before she made her decision.
“Feel the fear, and just go for it!”Christine’s advice for anyone considering a new challenge
- She identified the skills she wanted to build Christine wanted to increase her confidence and expand the work she could take on.
- She researched her study options She looked online for a practical course that connected with her existing administration experience.
- She spoke with the support team A course conversation helped her understand what to expect before enrolling.
Learning online felt unfamiliar at first
Choosing online study rather than a traditional classroom was a major change for Christine.
“It was a bit scary! I’m used to textbooks and lecturers, but there I was on my own, receiving my assignments through the website.”Christine
She also worried that a tutor might be too busy to help when she needed guidance. Her experience soon reassured her.
“Tracey could not have been more kind or supportive,” Christine said. She quickly realised that her tutors were approachable professionals who genuinely wanted to help her progress.
What Christine studied
Christine completed ten modules as part of the Certificate in Medical Reception. Her learning covered practical administration, communication and medical reception topics.
Key areas included:
- Medical terminology and abbreviations
- Anatomical structures, medical equipment and processes
- Pharmacological terminology and related medical language
- Time management, ethics and professionalism
- Customer service by telephone and in person
- Essential Microsoft Word and Excel skills
One part Christine particularly enjoyed involved taking facts or statistics, interpreting the information and presenting it in an attractive, easy-to-understand format.
Positive feedback helped her confidence grow
Christine felt a moment of panic each time she emailed an assignment for marking. However, the positive and detailed feedback she received gradually changed how she viewed her own ability.
“You have shown very good ability with this assessment and answered the questions in great detail. You have a strong business and personal ethic and it shows in your answers.”
“She’s had this glow, like a spring in her step! Being respected and having her skills recognised has been a great boost for Christine. The value of improved self-esteem and self-confidence can’t really be overstated.”Helen, Christine’s mentor
The course made a practical difference
Alongside the new knowledge she developed, Christine felt more confident using the internet. That gave her greater confidence to search proactively for contracts and look for ways to increase her workload from home.
Greater digital confidence
Christine became more comfortable using online systems and searching for opportunities.
Broader practical skills
Her study added medical reception and business knowledge to her existing administration experience.
Recognition of her ability
Constructive tutor feedback helped Christine see the strength of her work more clearly.
Motivation to keep learning
At the time of this story, Christine chose to continue studying with a more advanced accounting course.
The Career Academy was delighted that Christine decided to continue learning and wished her every success with the next stage of her studies.
Build practical medical reception skills online
Explore the current Certificate in Medical Reception, review the latest course details and decide whether the learning outcomes suit your goals.
Christine’s story reflects her individual experience. Course content and availability may have changed since her study, and individual outcomes vary.
