Mark Woodall, instructor of the Pharmacy Technician Academy, brings a broad range of knowledge and diverse experience with retail pharmacy, hospital, veterinary, chemotherapy, and teaching to our pharmacy technician students. He describes the Pharmacy Technician Academy as a program that “gives students a basic working knowledge of what it takes to be a pharmacy tech and prepares them for the certification exam.”
He says area pharmacies call him frequently looking for people to hire. Several of his current students have jobs waiting for them when they complete the academy. Woodall mentions a former student who came into the academy with no pharmacy experience, but she worked hard, did well in the class and was hired by a local pharmacy as soon as she completed the academy. Now, she is helping other students enrolled in the academy.
Woodall says the Pharmacy Technician Academy is not just for those who want to work in a pharmacy. He says it also serves as a great foundation for students who intend to go to medical school or nursing school, or as a short-term career to help pay their way through school.
Whatever the student’s ultimate goal, Woodall makes sure they get a thorough understanding of what it takes to work as a pharmacy technician. He even offers to let students shadow him at his job outside of class.
Woodall became nationally certified as a Pharmacy Technician in 1993. He has worked in various pharmacy settings over his 24 year career, including Winston Salem Health Care, Baptist Hospital and Forsyth Hospital. In addition, he has taught a pharmacy technician certification class through Novant Health.
Over the past 15 years he has specialized in pharmacy compounding, including becoming nationally certified in sterile and non-sterile drug compounding in 2008 through the Professional Compounding Centers of America in Houston, Texas, with an emphasis on hormone replacement therapy for men and women.
Anyone 16 years of age or older are eligible to participate in a Continuing Education course. Visit clevelandcc.edu/ce, call 704-669-4015 or email [email protected] for more information.
