Blinn offering spring certified medication aide, clinical medical assistant, and pharmacy technician courses

Each program places students on the path to beginning their new career by the summer

January 5, 2023

The Blinn College District is offering four courses this spring that will prepare students for high-demand healthcare professions they can begin as soon as this summer.

The courses that will be offered are:

Certified Medication Aide

Offered Tuesdays and Thursdays, Feb. 7-June 22, on the Schulenburg and Bryan campuses. The cost is $805. The program, designed for certified nursing assistants, covers drug legislation, drug references, basic anatomy and physiology, and common diseases. After completing this course, students will be prepared to take the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Medication Aide Licensure Exam.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national demand for nursing assistants is expected to grow 5 percent between 2021-2031, creating almost 65,000 jobs nationwide with a median hourly pay of $14.56.

Certified Medication Aide Refresher

The single class will be held Friday, May 19, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on the Schulenburg Campus. The cost is $75. This course is for CNAs who already are licensed for medication administration and meets HHSC requirements for maintaining certification.

Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA)

This program consists of three courses running Jan. 17 to Feb. 10 (basic CMA technology, cost is $325), Feb. 14 to April 14 (CMA special topics, cost is $1,005), and April 18 to May 10 (assisting with CMA credentialing exam, cost is $370).

Clinical medical assistants are medical support professionals who perform clinical and administrative duties under the direction of a physician. They have a variety of duties, including maintaining patient medical records, scheduling appointments, administering medications, collecting and preparing lab specimens, and recording vital signs.

Pharmacy Technician

Available entirely online, this course runs Jan. 17-April 7. The cost is $1,450. Pharmacy technicians work under the direction of a licensed pharmacist and perform technical and clerical duties in a pharmacy.

For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/workforce or call the Schulenburg Campus at 979-743-5237.