A second start

After starting over in midlife, Lynn Fasano built a meaningful career as a medical assistant, a role that blends care, skill, and teamwork.

Title: Medical Assistant
Term in current position: 13 years, 10 months+
Years working at Yale: Same as above

What are your current responsibilities?

In surgical dermatology, we generally perform skin cancer removal with a staff of doctors and nurses. We also have a cosmetic clinic. When I first began shadowing nurses and honing the skills I was trained in at school, I found that I was very curious about the clinical side of my job. It surprised me how much I loved it. I find it fascinating.

On a typical day, as the patients start arriving in the morning, I check them in before the nurses see them. I take their blood pressure, get all their medical history, update their list of meds, chat a little bit about the symptoms of the skin-cancer site, and impending surgery. I do this so when the nurse is ready, things can move along quickly, especially the surgeries. I also round up supplies for the nurses and make sure they have them ahead of any procedure.

There’s usually time before the afternoon wave of patients for cosmetic procedures, so I cover the front desk, scan paperwork, make phone calls, triage some of the nurses’ messages, and coordinate with Oculoplastics when a repair has to be made after surgery.

How was it going back to school to learn a new profession?

It was hard. I had to start from scratch, especially with computer skills. I chose this profession because I felt that my main skill was taking care of people both at home and as a young person working in my parents’ jewelry store, Dante’s Jewelers in Branford, Connecticut.

I went back to school full-time because part-time would have taken too long. I also worked part-time at a clothing store and went directly from school to work at night. At that time, my oldest son was in college and my youngest was in high school. It was a really rough year; I barely remember it. When the store was quiet, I would study in the ladies’ dressing room while I was hanging up clothes.

I did my externship, which is a year-long program as well, and began working at the Connecticut Kidney Center, which was a new practice. I stayed with them for about a year, but during that time, I applied to Yale, because people I knew there raved about it. Eventually, someone I knew worked in this office, and she told me they were looking to replace the receptionist. She recommended me and the manager was kind enough to bring me in for an interview, and I’ve been here ever since.

What advice would you give someone who wants a career as a medical assistant?

First, I would say that it’s never too late to change careers. I’m a perfect example of this because I didn’t start over again until I was in my 40s. It is a great field, whether you use it as a path to nursing school or a way to acquire important nursing skills, while also wearing an administrative hat that is equally important in Yale’s medical offices.

What’s your favorite thing about working at Yale?

The benefits are outstanding. But equally important, from my very first office manager and colleagues to my team today, was the support that I got here. There is always someone you can turn to, and if they don’t know the answer, they’ll find it for you. I never felt like I was left drowning.

It’s been a wonderful experience because my colleagues and I are as tight as tight can be. They’re some of my best friends. When we work, we do everything and anything we can to help each other. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.