A 2024 graduate of the Phlebotomy program, Rebecca McCartney was familiar with Penn Commercial long before she became a student. “My father had graduated from PC too,” Rebecca says. “It was the coolest thing ever to me as a kid to go to the same place as my dad.” In addition to being a graduate, her father Kirk is an instructor in the CADD program.
Rebecca is a CNA on the Cardiac unit at WVU Medicine hospital in Uniontown, PA, where she helps to feed, bathe, dress and change patients. She also checks vitals, performs blood draws, and works in the lab when needed. “I started out as a phlebotomist, and after some time in that position, it allowed me to branch over and get a good start into becoming a nurse!”
Working in healthcare has always been a career choice Rebecca wanted to pursue. It was a matter of finding the right starting point. “I’ve wanted to be in the healthcare field in some shape or form. I wasn’t just quite sure yet of where I wanted to start. I realized after being in healthcare locations that I loved doing blood draws and being a part of the behind-the-scenes to diagnosing and healing people. I am so excited to see what the future holds and what improvements I can make in the world!”
That passion led her to enrolling in Penn Commercial’s Phlebotomy program, where she could see her dad every day during the three-month program. She got support from others too. “All of the staff were so helpful and were there to support me my whole time in school. I felt like they truly cared about what I wanted and how I would get to where I wanted to be. It made me happy to get the education I needed and deserved as well as have a huge support system help me through any struggles I had.”
So far, Rebecca loves it at WVU Medicine, too.
“They really do help out and cheer on their new employees, even those who are fresh out of school,” she says. “I love it so much. I think I’m set on working here for a long time.”