WATERVILLE — MaineGeneral has announced the eighth graduation of its Medical Assistant Earn to Learn program. Eleven students who completed the program graduated Jan. 17 at the Thayer Center for Health.

“The Medical Assistant program was as challenging as it was rewarding,” said Kyle Nuñez, one of the MA graduates and student speaker at the graduation ceremony, according to a news release from MaineGeneral Health. “It is a privilege to support others and let us do it with kindness, understanding and professionalism.”

“MaineGeneral has been a source of positivity in my life,” said Jessica Pagliaroli, the second student speaker and MA graduate. Of her fellow MA graduates, Pagliaroli asked them to “take a moment to be proud of yourselves as you begin a career packed with purpose and endless possibilities.”

The nine other MA graduates include Benjamin Carleton, Shayla Colon, Susan Connor, Tatiana Dolgushina, Megan Huey, Alexis-Jordan Lizotte, Kayla Mckenney, O’Brien Plaisted and MaKayla Robinson.

The MaineGeneral MA program began in 2016 and has since seen over 200 medical assistants graduate from the program. It is not only tuition-free but pays students during the course.

The program runs for 13 weeks, with students completing approximately 200 hours of comprehensive classroom and skills training and 275 hours of hands-on clinical experience. Upon completion of the program and passing of the certified medical assistant exam administered by the National HealthCare Association, students can secure a CMA with MaineGeneral.

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