"After paying $9,000, I have nothing!". When Silvia Pascu laid out $9,000 to attend the Canadian
Aesthetics Academy in 2007, she shared the aspirations of many new Canadians looking for a foothold in a promising
career. The same is happening all over the USA, and online through phony cyber schools...
Career colleges are privately owned
schools that deliver vocational programs. It is up to a school to apply for registration, and be issued a
license, such as and/or Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and ABHES.
According to the St.Augustine MA school website they are certified by The National
Accreditation and Certification Board - you can just pay $200 to buy your certification; from
an unrecognized private accreditation provider.
Source: http://www.certmedassistant.com/bogus-certificates-and-degrees.html
Being a Smart Consumer Pays Off
We urge future medical assistants to do their research. It is up to each individual to decide which type of
medical assistant program, whether on campus, or online best meets their needs.
This is not to discourage anybody;
indeed, there are many excellent distance education programs offered online, including for the health care
professionals.
Like any consumer, prospective medical assistant students must be careful and aware of gray-area, non-accredited
programs, or diploma mills, especially online as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. These programs are
not designed for those hoping to start a new career, but rather to move unsuspecting consumer's money from their
pocket into their own for very little in exchange. Read more:Warning signs
that an institution may be offering fraudulent or substandard degrees
Be Smart and Choose Wisely
Don't become one of those horror stories where students wind up with certificates, or diplomas that
are completely worthless, and with job placement assistance that consists of nothing but a list of doctors copied
from the local area's Yellow Pages (if that much!). Those looking for a medical assistant school must first
understand the purpose AND value of a good medical assistant training with supervised skill practice in a
clinical setting before signing up anywhere, and be aware that there are bogus schools, making false promises
and false diplomas.
Unsatisfactory Outcome Hurts Everybody
Certain skills are best practiced and reinforced under the watchful eye of an instructor, and
peers. They must also realize that when it comes to discussing and resolving certain concerns and issues, it's
best to have direct access to real people in a real office. Otherwise it may lead to nothing but frustrations
and unsatisfactory results such as in this example:
John Ratiu paid $6,500 in tuition to learn the skills required for a job in the aesthetics
industry. Now, he's too afraid to actually treat people.
"I think I did laser (techniques) in the school for ... two or three minutes. The laser
is very dangerous if you don't know how to use it. You could destroy somebody's face for
life," said Ratiu.
The Star exposed two unlicensed career colleges — one for support workers, the other
security guards — where undercover reporters were able to receive diplomas despite being
untrained and unqualified for the jobs. (Sept. 19, 2009).
Is there Such a Thing as Worthless Diploma?
Many might not know that marketing fake diplomas, certificates, and degrees is a billion dollar industry—at
least 800 million a year in the U.S. alone. So big is this market that various state offices, consumer protection
agencies, and educational websites warn people to use caution when it comes to new schools and distance education
programs.
Accreditation doesn't automatically mean that learners will qualify for state or national certification upon completing the course. Be an informed consumer...
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