How to Recognize a Diploma Mill

Medical Assistant Students Beware... How to Recognize a Diploma Mill

Definition of a Mill:

1. Accreditation mill: "Accreditation mill" means an entity that is created to give the appearance that certain substandard schools or institutions of higher education are legitimately accredited organizations, that is not recognized by any authorized state, professional or national agency and that has few, if any, standards for quality.

2. Diploma mill: "Diploma mill" means an institution of higher education operating without accreditation or supervision of a state or a nationally recognized professional agency and granting diplomas that are either fraudulent or, because of lack of proper standards, worthless.

Look Before You Leap!

Legitimate Cyber-Schools and Accreditation

There ARE many legitimate institutions and cyber-schools that offer vocational education programs online which lead to desired certificates, diplomas and degrees. Many of these programs are not necessarily accredited (yet!). Often, they are maintained by a reputable, traditional brick-and-mortar campus where related classes are held in a real classroom licensed by their local Department of Education (USA). Many of these schools are in the process of getting their regional accreditation status for their programs approved; but this takes time. And yes, there are institutions and cyber-schools that choose not to seek accreditation for their online program for various reasons. This doesn't mean they are bad.

Why the Accreditation Process Takes So Long

Institutions go through a rigorous review process by the community, their peers and eventually a commission of state elected officials who verify that the school meets their tough standards and criteria. The process can be long and costly; with a looming possibility that once accreditation has been achieved, the school still may not qualify for Federal Title IV Financial Aid funding, nor draw the amount of students that they hoped to enroll.

A positive outcome, however, will increase the institution's status and prestige, while at the same time, also increase their work load and responsibilities associated with maintaining their newly achieved accreditation status. Not every school is ready, or willing to take on this responsibility, and adjust their routine accordingly. A school not seeking accreditation does not necessarily mean that the quality of their programs is less than others, and the education offered is substandard. It just means that THIS institution has decided that accreditation is not beneficial to them, and has chosen NOT to apply.

Here are some suggestions:

Before you start your medical assisting or any other vocational training you should investigate the entity providing the training AND the schools or online programs accreditation provider. Like anything today, do your research and do your homework! The old adage: "Look before you leap" is true.

1) Find out the credentials of the instructor. Would you want to be trained by someone with NO training or background in the subject they teach? If they don't have the proper background and credentials, what assurances do you have that they can answer your questions? You should want your instructor to be certified by a reputable medical assistant association, and one that has a certain amount of experience on the job.

2) Check out the training institution. Go to the Better Business Bureau and look at how many complaints have been made against the institution. Check to see where the institution is located. Is it located in Baghdad Iraq, the Barbados, or British Virgin Islands? And find out whether their school is listed on any state government lists of unaccredited schools.

3) Find out their location. If the company is located outside the jurisdiction of US Law, it may be hard for a government agency to go after someone that might be ripping you off. If the institution is located in the US, check the company out with the state's Division of Corporations.

4) Check their address. I have found some companies give one address in their marketing materials and after checking their filing with the State, the company is listed as being inactive, or the address they reported to the State is different in their marketing materials. I once drove to the physical address of one company and it was a vacant lot, other times you find a Mailboxes Etc. where ANYBODY can set up an address. Others use a downtown post office box.

5) Check their standing in the community. Do people you know recommend the school and do employers in your area recognize the institution? Don't rely on the internet. A scammer can easily distribute articles on the web, publish their own public relations, submit news casts, set up fake forums, and plant fake positive customer feedback. Rather than searching the Web it is better to just check if there was any action taken against the company by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC can fine and order companies to cease and desist when they do not play by the rules.

6) Check the materials you are being sent. Some training programs are out to sell their medical billing software or medical assisting programs. Some correspondence courses send outdated manuals, sometimes lifted off old US Army manuals. Their training CDs often are nothing but pitches for their software. Training should be just that - training! All books and materials should be current, not outdated old manuals from decades ago.

7) Check for hidden costs. Do they include certification upon completion of your training, or is that an extra cost?

8) Find out about their refund policies. Do NOT let the cost of the training to influence you. Just because a program costs $60,000 doesn't mean it is any better than a program costing $600.

9) Ask about externship and job placement assistance. Do they offer 100% job placement or do they require you to pay for lists of providers in your area you could contact. I do not recommend paying for doctor lists. More often than not the list is not even accurate.

10) Ask about the program's pass rate. How big are the classes, and how many students graduate each year successfully? What is their certification exam pass rate?