Pima Medical Institute - Chula Vista

PMI Chula Vista is a wonderful campus. So many fields of study offered under one roof is very impressive. The students looked happy to be there and excited to study. Deborah was very welcoming and was able to answer every one of my questions making me feel at ease and reassured in my decision. Do not hesitate to reach out and ask for more information!

In my honest opinion; you will never find a better school than PIMA! I went here in 2015 for the Medical Administration Program and then again in 2023 for the Medical Assistant Program; and I had a great experience both times. When it comes to PIMA it literally feels like you're joining a family that wants to help and support you, and not just another number that they are trying to fill. That feeling and experience honestly starts as soon as you walk in. The girls at the front desk are phenomenal, I love Ms. Deborah (My admin Coordinator). She is so good at connecting with you and has a gift for really guiding people in the right direction. Then Edna and Lorena will do all they can to help you financially be able to attend. I'm so thankful for their kindness and patience and willingness to help! Then the instructors are absolutely stupendous!!! Shout out to all my instructors Mrs. Wilder, Mrs B, Ms. C, and Mrs. K, and even the new instructor that came in later on Ms. A!! There is no words to describe the gratitude I feel towards these amazing group of women who always had each students back, were great at teaching the material, and who encouraged us each step of the way even when we didn't believe in ourselves. Then you have hidden gems like Mr. Vince or AKA (Fix it Felix)!! I don't know what he does I just know he does everything around here!! I was having a hard day, and Mr. Vince came up to me and asked how I was doing. I told him, but he replied " You can never have a bad day; you can only have bad moments and good moments, but never a bad day." Him telling me that helped out a lot and changed my perspective! I also want to thank Ms. Monique (The school Counselor); I had a road bump and had to leave, but she really helped me to get back in so I can complete the program. PIMA not only creates a family atmosphere, but they really equip you to be prepared for the field you want to go into. Although this journey was not easy, I really thank God for the experience I had at PIMA. I can truly say I'm leaving feeling confident in the skill set and knowledge I have learned at PIMA that will help me be successful in my career!

Ms. J is an amazing teacher! She has a knack for explaining complex topics in a way that's easy to understand. Her passion for teaching shines through, and she always goes the extra mile to help her students. I appreciate how she creates a positive, engaging and hands on learning environment in the dental assistant program. Thanks to Ms. J, I've not only learned a lot but also enjoyed the process.

My experience here was wonderful, I attended the Dental Assistant program. I had a great teacher, her name is Miss J, she always pushed me to my best, even when I didn’t trust myself she always did in me, and I’m thankful that I had a wonderful experience and great learning environment, best tools to learn and great school.

As someone who struggled in going to school. And now finally being done with it I couldn’t have done it without the support of my Dental Assistant program teacher Ms.J (Ms.Joselle) for always giving me the extra push to do better . Going here has made me a better person and help me make friends and peruse in a better career for myself

I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Mrs. Edna Lewis for surpassing expectations. Her relentless dedication and determination played a pivotal role in securing the grant on my behalf. Her patience and empathy were instrumental in finding a tailored solution for my unique situation, recognizing me not as an application but as an individual with dreams. I am eternally grateful.
Mrs. Edna's pivotal role as the department's backbone leaves a lasting, positive impact on every student she supports.
She changed my life and for that thank you! 🙏

I came to Pima Medical Institute as a credentialed teacher who was very skeptical of "For Profit" school because of my past experiences. I was warmly welcomed and can say that the whole campus is student driven. Each of the staff I have come to know thrives on the success they help students achieve. I love coming to work because we are a team who is doing it right for our students.

I have been so pleased with Pima Chula Vista. All of their professors are truly dedicated to their students. I love the small class sizes and the career placement—both things that were a far cry from my experience at a large university. I have and will continue to recommend PMI as a school which gives students an excellent education and prepares them for a career in the medical field.

Once I started the process of the enrollment here at Pima the staff was very kind and very helpful. And once I got on board and started school the teachers and administration were very helpful and really wants you to succeed. Pima is a really good school for the medical path you want to take, I am in the Medical assisting program and just finished with the schooling and externship. I am happy to say that I am pleased with my experience here with learning and the hands on labs that extremely help me.

Taking the dental assisting course at Pima made me feel very confident going into the field. I learned a lot throughout my course and could not thank instructor Ms.J enough for her energy and patience she put into each and every student to make sure they succeeded.

I started school at Pima to do the VA course I give a huge shout out to Ms. Brooks she is amazing she is super knowledgeable and will teach you everything to prepare you for this career. I also give a shout out to Mr. Polanco he was amazing and such a good human being!
I am currently in the Vet tech program and O’Brien has been great! She is a good instructor and also a genuine soul and always willing to help.
Ms. Brewer has been my favorite she is the school director of the VT program and she is always helpful, respectful and professional. She is also the sweetest person.

Just completed VA with Mrs. Brooks and loved it!! She is an amazing instructor. Now taking VT program and it’s harder and at a faster pace but I’m sure I will love it! Mrs O’Brien seem like an awesome instructor! Love Chula Vista Pima! Looking forward to furthering my education with Pima!!!

I am a formal Dental Assistant graduate from the class of 2001. These time around I’m back with my son who is loving his Medical assistant class. I am very grateful for the great experience and the wonderful attention by their staff. Edna our financial coordinator and Angie our career coordinator have been Amazing! I Can honestly recommend PIMA for anyone considering any of their programs,
Ellie T.

A great place to learn, helpful and friendly staff. Especially appreciative of all the help from the financial department staff, Edna has been amazing! Extremely knowledgeable, willing to help, and makes you feel seen and heard. Ever visit with her is a joy!

I will be going out on my externship in about a week and I truly have to thank so many people for their individual part they each played in my success! Mrs. Ellie and Mrs. Edna helped me so much with my admission and financial aid process! Without their encouragement I don't think I would have followed through with going to school. They often checked up on me via phone calls and texts to see how my experience here at PIMA was going. They truly care about each of their students. Mrs. Wilder, Kline, and Ms. Lavalle are all amazing instructors and I feel so proud to be one of their students. They gave encouragement and tough love when needed to push me to succeed. They are all so experienced and informed in their own specialties. I have always heard great things about PIMA, but having been able to experience this program my self- This is truly a great environment to learn and feel confident once I go out to the field on my own.

Special shout out to Mr. Vince!! He always said "Good-morning" & we had a quick chat- which gave me a daily boost through out my day. He is such a cool guy. Make sure to say "hi" whenever you see him. Defiantly the hidden gem of PIMA!

Edna Lewis has helped me throughout the whole process of my career payments, loans, and guided me through the whole process of the paperwork. Not only has she gone above and beyond to guide and help with anything I need but has also been there to listen to my struggles and all the good news. She’s an amazing person and I am thankful for all her help. I plan to come back to another program here at Pima because she made the process a lot easier for me. Thank you Edna!

I’m a fairly new student at Pima Chula Vista and I have to say my experience so far has been great. Instructors like Ms.P and Ms.J made learning easy and fun. I would definitely recommend this program and school for people in interest solely based off of the instructors.

My experience at PIMA has been great , the teachers are very helpful and make the course fun. Miss J is my teacher and with her I’ve learned so much she makes the class feel comfortable with asking questions she goes throughly with the demos and is very flexible , the teachers in the dental program want to see us succeed and they will do everything that is possible to push you through and motivate you to get to that finish line!

Story Time!! I started my journey with Pima back in 2019 when I was asking a couple of my healthcare friends about their careers since I was bored and burned out working a 10-7 in the same dingy cubical doing accounting for San Diego's permits department. Both had highly recommended Pima but being who I am, I also scheduled tours at Concorde and UEI since they offered similar programs I was interested in, and I am the type who needs to shop around before I commit to anything, especially a hefty car or student loan. At my scheduled campus tour with Marie in Administrations, and she walked me through the different programs they offer to see what would be the best fit for me. I decided on Radiography but the program had a wait list so to gain some experience and dip my toes back into the schooling system, I decided to enroll into the medical assistant program. I began classes within the month and was very impressed with the support I received by the staff and financial aid. The core teachers are amazing, whether you had Mr. Polanco or Mrs. Wilder, both were a lot of fun and made learning anatomy and basic skills really easy. Once core classes were completed and we passed, we got to move into the skills sequence and start the hands-on portion of our programs. Pima helps with placing you into an internship site and building a resume. The preceptors that you work with are usually a lot of fun and if you get placed somewhere that ends up not being a good fit, the staff is very helpful in moving you to a different location that is better suited. Upon graduation, I was offered a position as an CMA in the office I interned at which also had a radiography tech room down the hall for the orthopedics office upstairs. I was able to assist during some of these procedures and get some insight into that field. The rad tech had graduated from Pima medical after transferring over to San Diego from Texas. He was the first to mention how several offices favor Pima students over other schools because we do more far more skill training before internship which I believe is true since a friend told me she had barely done any hands-on training at UEI (she started her program a couple months after me) and was already looking for an internship site to start since the school there doesn't place you themselves.
Finally in April I got bumped up the waitlist to start the Radiography program. Halfway through the program, I realized it was a little slower and quieter than I liked for a career path, PTSD flashbacks of working in the accounting cubical... I talked to the two surgeons I work for, and both recommended checking out the surgical tech program so I could work with them in the surgery center on their surgery days and or in the office as a medical assistant if I wanted to pick up extra hours. Once I finished the first semester of Radiography, I went to Marie again and we discussed transferring over credits and when the next start date for surgical tech would begin. Financial aid was able to keep me as a fulltime student and transfer over most of the classes, so I didn't have to pay for additional credits or take any more dreaded math classes. This has been my favorite program so far, the teachers are all amazing and a good mix of personality types, high energy, mellow, relaxed but strict and keeps you on top of your knowledge. I am excited to be working in the blood and guts scene soon, but until then, I have six more months of instrument memorization and vigorous chapter notes to complete.
As someone who has been in some form of schooling for the last couple plus decades, I can say as far as educators go, this campus has some of the best. They are truly invested in their students and making sure we all become amazing medical professionals. Even the teachers who do not have you as a student are willing to show you anything you are interested in or share stories of their experiences in the field.

PIMA has been one of the best schools I've gone too. I love it here. I've learned so much. They have great staff and instructors are super involved with you and care about your success. I definitely recommend coming here!