The inaugural graduating class of Certified Medication Assistants (MAC) from Wallace Community College-Dothan (WCCD) received a 100% pass rate on their Medication Assistant Certification Exam. All eight members of the first class, which was held in the fall of 2021, passed the exam enabling them to become Certified Medication Assistants, granting them the credentials necessary to administer medication to individuals who need assistance receiving medications, such as the elderly, disabled, or those in treatment facilities. In the case of many of these graduates, the additional certification led to increased compensation at their current place of employment.
“The Medication Assistant course is a great example of how short-term training can have a long-term, positive impact on an individual’s career,” said Joe Johnson, WCCD Director of Workforce Development. “We are so excited and proud that our graduates have obtained a 100% certification pass rate. Success is achieved when you combine great faculty with dedicated and driven students, we are fortunate to have both in our Workforce Development courses.”
The second class of MACs began this year, with fifteen students who are employed at five different long-term care or mental health facilities around the Wiregrass. All students participating in the current 6-week program are receiving their training at no expense thanks to an Alabama Workforce Stabilization Grant (AWSP) provided by the Alabama Community College System and the Alabama Department of Commerce. The majority of the first class of MACs was also funded by this grant.
A MAC is typically a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) who works in a long-term care or mental health facility under the direction of a licensed nurse. The program is designed to relieve some of the workforce stress on nurses and long-term care facilities and mental health facilities by upskilling members of their existing workforce.
For more information on the Certified Medication Assistants program at WCCD, please contact Joe Johnson at jjohnson@wallace.edu or 334-556-2390.