They say all roads lead back home, that no matter where life’s journey takes you, you will eventually find your way back to a place of comfort, security, belonging, and purpose. The same applies to working at TrueCare, a place our team is proud to call their professional home. Whether you are fresh out of school or simply looking for a professional start, we believe that diverse experiences, passions, and skillsets are the foundation of exceptional health care, and our team is full of people who took unique and sometimes unconventional medical career paths that led them to work at TrueCare. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing vital services to San Diego communities that are too often underserved, TrueCare is always seeking compassionate professionals to join our team. No matter how unconventional you may think your career path is, you will feel like you belong. 

Whether you’re a Medical Assistant, a Registered Nurse (especially those with specialties in substance misuse), an Advanced Practice Provider (APP), a Family Medicine Physician, or an OB/GYN, your path can find a meaningful home here. Discover how your commitment to patient care and community well-being aligns perfectly with the TrueCare mission.

What Health Care and Medical Career Paths Lead to TrueCare?

Ultimately, the best way to illustrate the different San Diego health care career pathways that can lead to working at TrueCare is to highlight team members and their professional journeys. Here are real-life health care career pathways examples from our team. 

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Wendy Blanco: From Medical Assistant (MA) to Panel Coordinator

Wendy Blanco, a Ramona native, chose TrueCare to serve her own community, finding immense satisfaction in helping people she knows. 

Starting as a Medical Assistant almost four years ago, she quickly advanced to a Panel Coordinator role, leveraging TrueCare’s opportunities for growth. 

“I’ve been working at TrueCare for almost four years,” said Wendy as she reflected on her community health career path that led her to where she is today, “and I started as a Medical Assistant. Now, I’m a Panel Coordinator. They are always offering opportunities here to move up. It’s up to us if we want to take them. But there’s always room for growth, no matter how you enter the organization. It’s something special about working here. It’s not about where you start in the company or how you enter, it’s about your passion and commitment once you have your foot in the door.”

Her current role allows for deeper one-on-one patient interaction, helping them navigate appointments and referrals, which she finds personally fulfilling. 

Wendy attributes her passion to her supportive team and the patients, highlighting the family atmosphere at the Ramona health center, complete with potlucks and social gatherings. Supportive management ensures she feels heard and valued.

For new applicants, Wendy advises patience and being a team player. Her passion for health care stems from a desire to provide the best possible care, a journey of continuous skill improvement in both medical assisting and administration at TrueCare. 

Wendy’s journey exemplifies how TrueCare supports career advancement while nurturing a deep connection to community, showcasing the rewarding growth available within our supportive environment while making a personal impact right where you live.

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Dr. Maria Sebiane: Fulfilling a Lifelong Mission in Community Health

For Dr. Maria Sebiane, her community health career path began before she was even old enough to earn a paycheck as a first-generation immigrant in California, which is emblematic of many of our team’s medical career paths that lead to TrueCare. 

“I grew up as a first-generation immigrant here in California,” remembered Dr. Sebiane with a smile, “and I didn’t have health care. So, growing up, I always thought, ‘I want to be a doctor, and I want to be able to go back and serve my community.’ I found a great home here at TrueCare to carry out this mission, get involved in the community, and really improve the health of the children in San Marcos. I’ve been here for 25 years and serve multiple generations of families. It’s incredibly fulfilling.”

In fact, her tenure here has been marked by something that we experience a lot as an organization – boomerang employees who leave for other opportunities but eventually return because they miss the meaningful work we do and our company culture.

“I worked here originally in 1992, fresh out of residency, and then I left for a bit while my husband trained in Denver and came back full-time in 2000,” Dr. Sebiane said. 

When she was coming out of medical school at UCSD, she wanted to stay in San Diego. While she had many opportunities fresh out of school, she chose to stay in a community clinic because, in this field, she’s allowed to see everybody. 

Dr. Sebiane said that, working here, she has had the opportunity to grow her skillset, which is invaluable for professional development in community health careers. 

“Every time we have bumped into a need or something that our patients are not receiving, I’ve been given the opportunity to get grants to work with HRSA to ensure the care we provide is cutting edge,” Dr. Sebian said proudly. 

“Working in this practice has really expanded the limits of what I originally envisioned would be my profession or what I could do in a private practice because I don’t just have the resources within my internal group, but I also work in a group setting,” explained Dr. Sebiane, “so I have the resources of other service lines, like the young adults, OBGYN, and behavioral health.”

Dr. Sebiane has a unique perspective on career trajectories because she is directly involved with educating young professionals who want to serve in a community clinic setting. 

“We not only get feeders from local colleges, but we also get feeders from other sites,” explained Dr. Sebiane, “so we train MA externs, PA students, nurse practitioner students, and even medical students. We’ve even had residents do their residency training here. If you enjoy teaching, this is a wonderful place to be able to do that. It’s pretty special to be able to pave the way for so many career paths in that capacity. On the other side of that coin, if you love learning, this is a great place to do that, too.”

Ultimately, when it comes to finding the right career trajectory for you, Dr. Sebiane offered some sage advice that only a seasoned medical professional could offer.

“What I want to say to all young professionals is work has to bring you joy,” said Dr. Sebiane, “and you have to pick something that you’re really passionate about. It’s never too late to find that passion – if you want to work to uplift your community and do meaningful work, TrueCare is a place where your passion and purpose meet. Even if you don’t have much experience in the field, what matters most are your values and passion for helping others.” 

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Dinh Bui: A Philanthropy Specialist with a Passion for Giving Back

Dinh Bui is the Philanthropy Specialist at TrueCare, who is responsible for helping and administering the database, event planning, and managing philanthropy campaigns. 

Dinh is a shining example of how there is room for everyone within our organization, even if you do not have extensive experience in other medical field careers.

“As a nonprofit, a lot of what we do is raise funds for our programs through things like backpack drives,” said Dinh, “and that kind of highlights how integral everyone’s role is. Even if you’re not taking care of patients directly, your work feeds that care.”

When it comes to philanthropy, Dinh said that he’s been doing it his whole life, from the time he was in the Boy Scouts and Sea Cadets as a child. He said he was also a part of the Rotary Club, which involved a lot of community service work. 

“When I was part of that club, I ran a lot of charity events,” said Dinh, “so I’ve done a lot of volunteering in that capacity. Then I went through college and ran the philanthropy chair through my fraternity.”

He said that, coming out of college, he didn’t know people actually got paid to do philanthropy work. It was, as he described it, a dream job come true. He said no other job would have allowed him to help others the same way he does at TrueCare.

“TrueCare is a really special place to work because everyone here has the same passion for helping others in our community,” said Dinh, “so when I got to know everyone else and their unique career paths, things started clicking. It’s like realizing your purpose in real-time.”

Ultimately, his career path reflects something that is true of many career paths of TrueCare team members – what matters most is your passion. If you have the passion, you are more than qualified, and your work history is secondary.

“Before even graduating from college, I saw the opportunity here at TrueCare,” remembered Dinh, “so I shot my application over. I didn’t know people got paid for this work; I’ve always done it for free and, of course, community service hours. I didn’t even have my degree yet, but they saw the passion I had in philanthropy and my experience and involvement throughout the years. That was enough for them to take their chance on me. They didn’t even look at my experience or numbers during my interview. They saw potential in my innovation and dedication.”

Dinh said that another testament to the unique career paths and health care job opportunities within TrueCare is their investment in your development.

“They’ve done a lot to help me become a better leader,” said Dinh, “and they’ve invested a lot, whether it’s in my education or encouraging me to do a lot of seminars or exposing me to other organizations and leaders. They have provided me with a lot of programs to just improve my knowledge and skills, and are always encouraging me to learn.” 

Dinh Bui’s journey to becoming TrueCare’s Philanthropy Specialist exemplifies how a lifelong passion for community service, even without formal experience, can lead to a fulfilling career, proving that dedication is paramount for those looking to make an impact. 

Ultimately, Dinh’s unique but inspiring path underscores TrueCare’s belief in valuing an applicant’s heart for helping others above all else. 

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All Medical Career Paths Lead to TrueCare. Apply to San Diego Community Health Careers at Our Health Centers Today! 

At TrueCare, your heart trumps your work history when you are applying for a role within the organization. OTrueCare reflects the fact that there is no single medical career path that leads to working here, and welcomes and strongly encourages people from all professional and personal walks of life to apply, even if you feel like you have an unconventional career trajectory. What matters most is your commitment to uplifting communities that are too often underserved with high-quality health care. 

If that sounds like you, then you will be a great fit, no matter what your work history might look like. Explore careers in the medical field at TrueCare.