Mamdouh Sorial – 91��Ƭ

91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute Graduate Builds Career in Health Care, Pursues Further Education

Michelle Lang — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 18:55:13 +0000

Simone Parkes has always wanted to work in the medical field. She began her career in health care at a job that didn’t require post-secondary training, but after giving birth to her son, she decided she wanted to advance her career and enrolled in the Medical Assistant Clinical (MAC) program at . After completing the program, she began working as a medical assistant and has now decided to further her education and become a nurse.

Parkes was working at when she became pregnant. When she was on maternity leave, she decided to enroll in NCCTI to obtain her MAC certification. Her cousin completed the MAC program and encouraged her to apply. In order to focus on her education, Parkes quit her job at Summit Health and started working for an hospital on the weekends.

“I had the support of my family, so that helped me be able to succeed with the program,” Parkes said.

She had been unable to enroll in school previously because she was caring for her parents when they fell ill. Her siblings all live out of state, so she was the person who took her parents to medical appointments and testing. Her husband stepped in to help so that she could focus on her studies, which was a great weight lifted off her shoulders.

“I spoke to my husband about [enrolling in the program]. He’s like, yeah, go ahead. We’ll take it day by day and we’ll figure it out,” she said. “And I’m happy and thankful that I did because I love what I do at my job.”

Parkes now works as a medical assistant in an RWJBarnabas Health multi-specialty pediatric office in West Orange, which offers care in cardiology, urology, allergy and general surgery. She enjoys working with the children and putting them at ease during their appointments. If she has an anxious cardiology patient, she will let the child put on and take off the EKG stickers before starting the procedure so they know what to expect.

“I try to make the experience most comfortable for them. To where they’re leaving all happy,” Parkes said. “That makes my day.”

Her experience in her current role has inspired her to become a pediatric nurse. She enrolled in ’s nursing program for the fall. She will retain her current job and attend school part-time. She hopes to eventually work in a pediatric emergency department or a pediatric unit in a hospital.

“Those kids need that proper nursing where they’re not going to get upset with what’s going on with the child. They’re going to find the best way to help them heal,” Parkes said.

She said her experience at NCCTI was positive and she recommends the school to anyone interested in launching a career in health care.

“The staff was amazing. The program was amazing,” Parkes said. “Being able to do book work and hands-on was great because we weren’t being thrown out there when we got to a doctor’s office or hospital, not knowing what was going on.”

Instructor Dr. Mamdouh Sorial prepared students for both the certification exam and the work world, according to Parkes. She said he broke down the steps of the medical procedures and provided little tricks to help students remember what to do.

NCCTI Interim Director Frances Teabout is happy the school has been a positive part of Parkes’ journey.

“At NCCTI, we aim to help our students launch their careers in their preferred program of study. It’s fulfilling to hear that Ms. Parkes has found meaningful employment and is continuing her education to further her career goals,” Teabout said. “We wish her great success going forward.”

Parkes lives with her husband and 1-year-old son and has two step-daughters, ages 10 and 5, who live with them part-time.

She is excited to be taking the next step in her educational journey and is thankful to have had NCCTI lay the foundation for her success.

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that is currently enrolling for the following programs: Automotive Technician, Medical Assistant Clinical and Patient Care Technician. For more information, call 973-824-6484, email nccti@newcommunity.org, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute Helps Student Prepare for Medical Career

Michelle Lang — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 20:33:04 +0000

Christopher Clement has always had an interest in science and decided while in high school that he wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. He is currently enrolled in the Medical Assistant Clinical (MAC) program at 91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute (NCCTI) to kickstart his career.

Clement considered joining the U.S. Air Force to become a medical professional but decided to attend NCCTI instead. His older brother previously completed the MAC program at NCCTI and is currently employed at University Hospital in Newark. He urged Clement to enroll at NCCTI because of his positive experience.

Clement, who is 22 years old, is happy with his decision.

“Everyone is here to help you,” he said of the NCCTI staff. “They give you every chance and opportunity to succeed. They help you find the path you’re looking for and help you start your career.”

He described the atmosphere as being like a family, with staff members offering support with students’ courses of study as well as help outside of the classroom when needed.

Academically, Clement feels well prepared by his instructor, Dr. Mamdouh Sorial, who he said breaks down all topics to ensure his students understand the material and how to perform procedures in the real world.

“He is by far one of the best teachers I ever had,” Clement said. “He puts students first.”

Sorial described Clement as a good student who is always on time, is engaged and completes his work. He said Clement also has a good relationship with everyone and will represent NCCTI well in the workforce.

“I believe he will be a great medical assistant,” Sorial said.

Student Success Coach Odette Phillip described Clement as a polite, respectful and cooperative student.

“He has demonstrated that he is focused on completing the MAC program,” she said. “Christopher’s attendance is consistent and he manages his course work remarkably.”

NCCTI Director Dr. Sylvia McCray said students like Clement inspire the school’s staff members.

“Christopher is the example of why NCCTI, its staff, instructors and administrator does what we do,” she said. “From the start of his program, Chris has stayed steady and focused on his goal. I am very proud of the work we are doing at NCCTI and of the work the team is doing to improve the student experience.”

Upon graduation, Clement hopes to find employment at a local medical facility. He also plans to continue his education. While he hasn’t decided on an exact degree, he knows he wants it to be within the medical field.

Currently, he enjoys performing EKGs the most because of the wealth of information that can be obtained. He said the chart of the cardiac activity not only shows the patient’s heartbeat. A trained technician can also determine if the patient has eaten, is thirsty or has been smoking, as well as other factors that could be affecting the heart.

Clement, who lives in East Orange, is on his way to achieving his goal of working in medicine. He is slated to complete the MAC program by the end of January.

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that is currently enrolling for the following programs: Automotive Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Medical Assistant Clinical, Patient Care Technician and Culinary Arts Specialist. NCCTI also operates a comprehensive Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities Program sponsored by the local and national Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. For more information, call 973-824-6484, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute Welcomes New Patient Care Technician Instructor

Michelle Lang — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 17:51:59 +0000

Dr. Ehab Salib may be the newest member of the teaching staff at 91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute (NCCTI), but he has a wealth of experience in the health care and education fields.

Salib became a doctor in 1985 and earned a master’s degree in surgery in Egypt in 1990. He later lived in England and earned a degree in surgery there in 2000. He served as a cancer surgeon and traveled to different areas doing his work. He had the opportunity to move to the United States in 2011 and decided to settle here where he believes his two daughters, now ages 25 and 15, will be able to have bright futures. When he came to the United States, he would have had to earn medical degrees again so he opted to teach instead.

For the past five years, Salib has served as a medical instructor at Eastwick College in Nutley. He joined NCCTI in March as the Patient Care Technician instructor after his colleague, Dr. Mamdouh Sorial, who teaches the Clinical Medical Assistant program at NCCTI and serves as an instructor at Eastwick College, told Salib about the opportunity. Salib continues to teach at Eastwick College in the evenings after classes at NCCTI end.

While he said he would rather be performing surgery, Salib enjoys being able to pass medical knowledge to new groups of students and finds it fulfilling when they are successful. He recalled seeing three of his students employed at a hospital where he was a patient.

“I was very delighted to see them having a career and that they succeeded,” he said.

Having served as a hands-on medical professional and an instructor has made the transition to NCCTI smooth.

“Dr. Salib has been a welcomed addition to the NCCTI family,” said NCCTI Director Dr. Sylvia McCray. “We are glad to be able to bring an experienced medical professional and educator to our allied health team.”

Salib teaches students how to interact with and care for patients, including how to transfer them from a wheelchair to a bed or a bed to a wheelchair. He also teaches anatomy of the human body and medical skills, including how to draw blood and how to perform an EKG. The instruction he provides prepares students to take the certification exam.

He enjoys the atmosphere at NCCTI.

“It’s a very comfortable environment. We sit with Dr. McCray to discuss any problems. We will solve them together,” Salib said. “And the students are really good.”

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that offers the following programs: Automotive Technician, Diesel Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Clinical Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Community Healthcare Worker, Culinary Arts Specialist and Business & Computer Technologies. NCCTI also operates a comprehensive Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities Program sponsored by the local and national Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. For more information, call 973-824-6484, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute Graduate Uses Certification to Return to Medical Field

Michelle Lang — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 15:26:20 +0000

Denise Jones has always been passionate about helping others. She worked as a nursing assistant for 25 years before becoming a substitute teacher for seven years. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and closed schools, she decided she didn’t want to continue working as an educator. Instead, she enrolled in school herself and thanks to 91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute (NCCTI), she is now working full-time at Newark Community Health Center as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant.

Jones has lived in Newark for 13 years and was familiar with 91��Ƭ before enrolling at NCCTI. She knows several people who became licensed practical nurses (LPNs) through an LPN program the organization previously offered. Those individuals spoke highly about their experience so she inquired about educational opportunities in the medical field. She decided to enroll in NCCTI’s Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) program in June of 2021.

Jones was the oldest student in her class at age 52, but that didn’t discourage or intimidate her. She brought her knowledge from serving as a nursing assistant and learned the additional skills necessary to complete the CMA program. She passed the certification exam in early February and quickly found a job at Newark Community Health Center.

“It was the very first job I applied to and they hired me right away,” Jones said.

As a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, Jones performs the initial intake of patients, inputting vitals, medical history and the reason for the visit into the computer. She then directs patients to an examination room to wait for the doctor and provides any additional tasks requested by the doctor or nurse.

Jones says her time at NCCTI prepared her well for her new position. She gives much of the credit to CMA instructor Dr. Mamdouh Sorial.

She explained that Sorial makes sure everyone in the class understands a topic before moving on to the next one so that no student is left behind.

“He is one of the best instructors,” she said. “I love how he pays attention to detail. And he really cares.”

Sorial saw the potential in Jones and believes she will be successful in this new phase of her career.

“Ms. Jones is a great person and she has the power of success. Since day one she showed the desire and the effort to pass the class and to get certified as a medical assistant and start a new career,” Sorial said. “She has all the characteristics of a successful student and now as a professional medical staff.”

NCCTI Director Dr. Sylvia McCray is glad that Jones had a positive experience at the school.

“I am extremely pleased to hear that NCCTI was very helpful to Ms. Jones,” she said. “We are proud of her accomplishment and wish her well in her future career endeavors.”

Jones has always been passionate about health care. There are many doctors and pharmacists in her family, which introduced her to the field.

“I’ve always loved the health field. I like to help people,” she said. “I care about people and I like to see people get better.”

After serving as a nursing assistant for 25 years, Jones needed to make a change since the job was taking a toll on her body. That’s when she made the switch to substitute teaching. But when the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools, she realized that she wanted to reenter the medical field. Since her certifications had expired, that meant returning to school.

She is happy to be a graduate of NCCTI.

“It was a good learning experience,” she said of the school. “I’m proud to say that I went there and the experience was a great one.”

91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute Welcomes Two New Instructors

Michelle Lang — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 21:49:45 +0000

91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute (NCCTI) has two new members of its teaching staff: Yusto Awich, who is an alumnus of the school, took on the role of Building Trades Specialist instructor in September while Dr. Mamdouh Sorial became the instructor for the Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) program in December.

“NCCTI is pleased to have Dr. Sorial and Mr. Awich join our team. Both come with industry-specific skills and teaching experience,” said NCCTI Director Rodney Brutton. “Our students will benefit greatly from their knowledge and will certainly be well prepared to enter the workforce from a theoretical and practical perspective.”

Awich graduated from the school’s Building Trades Specialist program in 2017 and after graduation started his own general construction business. Before enrolling at NCCTI, he was a New York City school teacher for about 10 years, teaching biology and sciences.

After William Robinson, who served as his Building Trades Specialist instructor, retired, Awich decided to go back to teaching in his new field.

“I saw the training that I got and I thought it would be a good time to come back and provide the same training that I got,” Awich said. “And also being that I’m a former teacher, I said this is another good way of giving back and combining skills.”

He started teaching NCCTI’s Building Trades students in September and enjoys the position. He still has his construction business for weekend projects, but he is now concentrating on his full-time role as an educator.

Sorial has an extensive background in the medical field. He worked in neuropsychiatry in his home country of Egypt before moving to the United States in 1997. When he came to this country, he was unable to find a residency so he decided to become a medical instructor. He has worked in many institutes of higher learning including Eastwick College in Nutley and National Career Institute in East Orange.

He knew his predecessor, Dr. Seham Abouelhassan, as well as NCCTI’s Patient Care Technician instructor Dr. Maha Koltowski, before coming on board which helped the transition go smoothly. He began teaching CMA students in December.

Sorial stresses the importance of students getting a certification instead of working jobs without room for growth.

“It is very good that we get people certified so they can have a real career,” he said. “It will open a lot of doors for work or for other education.”

Sorial feels comfortable at NCCTI and is happy to work with his colleagues and students.

“It’s a very nice place with very nice people,” he said. “I like this environment.”

Both instructors started working at NCCTI in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made some changes to instruction. Students and staff members are required to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing. Because of class size, Sorial’s students come in person two days per week and he provides assignments for them to complete on the three days they stay home. Sorial said the split schedule can be a challenge, but he and the students are making it work.

Several of Sorial’s students have accepted temporary positions at University Hospital where they administer COVID-19 vaccines at the hospital’s Ambulatory Care Center.

Awich said all the programs at NCCTI help students establish a successful career.

“These types of skills really will set them up for jobs,” he said.

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that offers the following programs: Automotive Technician, Diesel Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Clinical Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Community Healthcare Worker, Culinary Arts Specialist and Business and Computer Technologies. NCCTI also operates a comprehensive Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities Program sponsored by the local and national Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. For more information, call 973-824-6484, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.