A lot has changed since the last time Hector Tovar visited the American Career College-Los Angeles campus, but some things never do.
Since graduating from ACC more than a decade ago, Tovar has trained many new hires while working as a registered dental assistant, but he said he can always spot an ACC graduate by their subject knowledge, the way they set up their tools, how their X-rays looked and more.
"American Career College kind of separates itself from other schools because of how they prepare the assistants. I think they have more hands-on experience," he said.
Now a recruiter for an expanding practice, Tovar had returned to campus for a career fair. He said he appreciated the skills and training that ACC had provided him, allowing him to support himself and eventually pursue his dreams of going into law enforcement.
"They definitely gave me the tools, the experience to go out there on my own," he said.
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Why are you here today?
I'm here recruiting. My company sent me to see what's available. We're in real high need of dental assistants.
Why do you like ACC graduates?
I graduated from here. The knowledge that they presented me here, the teachers were really good compared to other schools. I've trained a lot of assistants, a lot of them coming from this school. The hands-on experience that you get here, it's a lot better than what you get at other schools.
How did you hear about American Career College?
My sister came here for surgical tech. My brother came here for medical billing so pretty much I've heard a lot of good things about it, from here, from them and from other schools as well.
Did you enjoy the dental assisting program?
At first I thought, 'What did you get yourself into?' but then once being here for a while, speaking to teachers, it was really good. It was the best decision I made.
What's the best thing about being a dental assist?
It's a great experience. If you're not sure what type of career you want to choose, this is a perfect short-term career — and you might stay in the career for the long run. I've been in there for 13, 14 years and never thought I was going to stay here that long, but the room to grow is there as well as not just the knowledge but stability. Money-wise, it's great money. It's not as a lot of people think, that we don't make money. Yes, you do make really good money in the dental field, especially if your options are open to get a higher degree and higher pay as well.
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