After 24 years in the U.S. Navy as a combat medic, Yuri Salmeron is not your typical instructor.
Salmeron's teaching techniques stem from the experience he gained in the military, and he tries to push his American Career College-Orange County medical assisting students one step further with each lesson. Recently, Salmeron used his Navy know-how to enhance the lesson while demonstrating the basics of assisting a doctor in minor surgical procedures.
“One of the skills that I found helpful was the ‘pig feet’ lab, where I demonstrate what happens when a patient gets sutures or staples,” he said. “The goal of this was to teach them how to evaluate a wound, describe it to a doctor and remove the sutures.”
Salmeron strives to create a hands-on learning environment so medical assisting students can develop a respect for their tools, and further empathize with the patient's experience. He is able to create this environment with a little help from his friends.
“Most of my classroom material gets donated to me from my military brothers down in San Diego,” he said. “I just repurpose the material for real-life experience.”
Ultimately, Salmerson puts passion into his work because he loves to teach and wants to see his students thrive.
“I love what I do here at ACC-OC,” he exclaimed. “I’m happy to bring some of my own experiences into the classroom so my students are able to become the best medical assistants they can be.”
