An exploration of how low-income young women access higher education through medical assistant programs, combining rigorous coursework, professional certifications, and critical thinking skills to achieve social mobility and healthcare career success.
Influential Woman · Education
Niurka Martinez
Medical Assistant Instructor/ Academic Advisor, Keiser University
Naples, FL
1Article published
1Award received
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Working with patients showed me how critical medical education is, especially for communities with limited access to care. That insight led me to focus on education, prevention, and training future healthcare professionals.
Niurka Martinez · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Niurka
I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Havana University in 1993. Over the course of 10 years, I conducted research on allergen-specific immunotherapy for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases at the Biotechnology Center in Havana. In 2011, I relocated to the United States and began working with various medical specialties, including podiatry and pediatrics, and in 2016, I joined an ambulatory surgery center, where I worked on colon cancer screening and pain management with distinguished physicians for 11 years. I authored books providing health tips for Hispanic communities. To enhance my understanding of the healthcare system, I pursued studies in Medical Billing and Coding, as well as Electronic Medical Records, at Ashworth College. Furthermore, to better manage patients with pain, I enrolled in Harvard's online school and completed the course 'Opioid Crisis in the United States.' I collaborate annually with the Pennington Institute in Australia to develop events aimed at educating people about opioid use and abuse. As an instructor and academic advisor at Keiser University, I assisted numerous individuals in completing their associate degrees in medical fields, thereby enhancing their social mobility.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Niurka
01What do you attribute your success to?
From too young, I feel the necessity to work together with top professionals in Healthcare. I have been practicing this political in Healthcare in United States. I am so grateful because I have worked with my mentors Gina Vaugh, Dr Moorthy, Dr Nanavati and more recently Michael Nelsen in Education.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Wherever your work takes a new turn, don't worry: your knowledge will be all the more enriched.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Focus on the patient all the time
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Many students of different cultures need to understand how management the time between labor, family and University. IA will be a great tool in the context of actual society and big revolution in the system is coming. Developing critical thinking in line with new technologies will open opportunities
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Positive, focus, curious, critical thinking
Her Content Hub
Articles by Niurka
Higher Education and Social Mobility
Empowering Low-Income Women Through Healthcare Education and Professional Certification
What does higher education represent for young women from low-income families? Over the past two years, I have come to understand that it represents far more than enrollment in a university program. It is a complex, demanding, and transformative process—one that reshapes identity, opportunity, and future stability.
In the Associate of Medical Assistant program where I teach, students begin their journey by completing foundational coursework such as American History, English Composition, and Speech Communication. These courses develop communication skills, historical awareness, and confidence in self-expression—essential tools for professional and civic life. Students then move into core scientific subjects including Biology, Anatomy, and Mathematics, which establish the analytical and technical foundation required in healthcare settings.
Beyond academic coursework, students complete specialized medical classes such as Pharmacology, Clinical Lecture, Clinical Procedures, Medical Laws and Ethics, Computerized Medical Office Systems, and Insurance Practices. During this period, they must also earn multiple professional certifications, including CPR, EKG, OSHA, TB/HIV training, and Human Trafficking Awareness, all through recognized accrediting agencies. Together, these requirements demand discipline, resilience, and a high level of critical thinking.
This combination of hands-on clinical skills and intellectual rigor prepares students to meet the realities of the healthcare workforce. They are trained not only to perform tasks, but to think critically, follow ethical standards, and respond effectively in high-responsibility environments. By the end of the program, students are encouraged to sit for the national board examination, a final step toward earning professional licensure in the healthcare industry.
In a competitive labor market, these young women are fully prepared to interview with nurse managers, physicians, and physician assistants, confidently demonstrating both their technical expertise and professional readiness. Twenty-four months of university education becomes the gateway to entering the healthcare profession—and, more importantly, to long-term economic stability.
Once employed, their lives change in profound ways. Higher education enables financial independence, increased self-worth, and expanded possibilities for themselves and their families. For many, it represents a decisive step toward upward social mobility and the breaking of generational cycles of poverty.
I am immensely proud to contribute to this process. Supporting these women through their educational journey is not only about professional training—it is about empowerment, dignity, and the creation of new futures through education.
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