A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

About Accredited Schools - School Loans - and Oppressive Debt Resulting From Them - From Various Sources

Posted: Jan 05, 2012

This past year I have read dozens of articles about "accredited" schools that are "approved for federal student loans", that enroll students, enticing them by offering financial aid, pressuring them to enroll even, calling them, e-maiing them, then, after they get them enrolled, not teaching them enough so they can get a job to repay those student loans. They keep them in the program long enough so that they get paid, giving the students "happy grades" so they don't get discouraged and quit before the school gets its money. Schools get rich, but their students suffer for years, maybe never being able to get rid of that debt, which can't be discharged by bankruptcy.

The one I read today, and I won't link to it because that's against board rules, says that students are being "swallowed up in debt" because it's so easy for them to be enticed into it, and then they have no way to repay it. Some of the schools charge $30,000 for a medical transcription course, for example. The people in the article I read today have $150,000 in debt each, a husband and wife, but the librarian jobs they got will never pay enough so they can repay the debt.

Re: About Accredited Schools - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
Your post is very informative. Every potential MT should read--and heed--it. Frequently as I am enjoying my retirement and reading various magazines, I see ads from various "institutes" (I love the way they use that high-minded term), luring people into the transcription field with a promise of $40,000 possible! This is just nonsense. Oh, it is possible to make 40K and more (I did) but it takes years and years of experience and a facility for the language. The trouble with these "institutes" is that they will take anyone who can send them a check. I would bet that they would enroll a rhinoceros if it had money in its paw (hoof?). Compounding this sad state of affairs is that there are many people who are so focused on "I want to work at home," that they do not stop to consider: 1. Am I cut out for this kind of career? 2. How can I check out this school to make sure it's legit? WHY am I choosing this school. (Please don't say because it is cheap. If you cannot get a job and nobody will take you seriously in the MT marketplace, how is it worth anything at all?) Do they bother to ask to speak with former grads? Do they actually call HR at some of the big nationals to ask if they hire grads from the XYZ school? They do none of these things. They just naively plunk down their money, get some "certificate" that has about as much value as something that falls out of a Cracker Jack box, and think they are ready to go to work. They will likely not get a job (I would not hire from these "institutes" because I long ago learned how ill-prepared their grads are), or if they somehow do luck out and do get a job, they cannot perform satisfactorily. While much of the blame should be on these "schools," there is also a responsibility for each person to think critically and carefully and to investigate any school BEFORE enrollment. If people would do that, likely these "institutes" and matchbooks could be put out of business.

Old Pro, You reminded me of the schools that have what I call 'Fire Sales' every month - Not a good sign

[ In Reply To ..]
Over the years I've seen so many 'discounted' or special deals that schools offer when they get desperate. That's a very good sign that you need to run the other way.

Where do you find legit schools then? - nelly

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In my small town, I would go to the local community college. Maybe that is enough or not, but how would I know? About a 1/2 hour from there, there are several schools, Kaplan College, Sanford Brown College, names that have popped up recently, and how would I know the difference? I would think "Accredited" means that it is good.

No, you would be completely off base with that advice - sm

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Accredited means they get financial aid. Some schools don't want to participate in those programs and some do. Some very bad schools do. That is no method of determining if they are good or not.

Community colleges are fine if they place you in jobs, which they rarely do, and if you only want to work locally, rather than for the national services. They usually do not hire graduates of community colleges.

so, if I wanted to go back to school - for medical assisting

[ In Reply To ..]
You are saying dont go to a school like Kaplan College because they are accredited and that means I will not get the proper education to become a medical assistant, but if I want a local job, my community college would be ok?

It depends on the school - Just don't go by whether they are accredited or not - because often that means a bad school

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm not commenting on any specific school. As a starting place though, find out which schools are getting students prepared well enough so they can find jobs. If the school can't prove that they get people ready, that's because they can't and don't. If you want to work locally, community college may or may not prepare you well enough. Some are really bad and others are pretty good. None of them seem to prepare anyone for medical transcription very well, although there may be an exception or two out there. I just haven't seen them be very effective with medical transcription. Medical assistant, maybe so. Do their students get jobs? Do they help? Can they tell you where their graduates are placed?

Yes, it does depend on the school - Old Pro

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I would never hesitate for even one second to hire an Andrews grad. (And no, I am not now nor have I ever been, associated with Andrews.) Most of their grads have more than one job offer even before graduation. There is a reason for that. On the other hand, when people would approach me from one or the other of these "institutes" that advertise in women's magazines or (sweet heaven forbid) come to your city with an "informational seminar," I would listen to them politely, and when they were out the door, would sail their resume right into the round file. I will not waste my time or theirs in a charade. They are simply not prepared. And besides, in this economy, they are competing with Andrews grads and people with 20+ years of experience. It is kind of like buying a car. If you had your choice of two different cars AT THE SAME PRICE (a Rolls Royce or a second-hand Chevy) which one would take? Thought so.

Not good advice a all - sm

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KC is a for-profit diploma mill. They charge ridiculous tuition so they can collect federal financial aid. They are accredited by an organization formed by colleges like themselves to accredit for profits. They had to form their own because no regional collegiate agency like the ones that accredit state schools and privates like Harvard and Stanford would accredit them.

Medical assisting in most areas is not rocket science. It is akin to nurses aide. Community colleges usually do not teach it because the level is too low. If that is what you want to do, see if your community has an adult vocational school that teaches it. If there is a demand for med assistants in your area there probably will be one.

Education for med assts and LPNs is similar. Consider LPN instead. Jobs may be more plentiful and pay higher. MA takes a few months and LPN about 9 months. RN is a 2 year associate degree program and can usually be done as an extension of an LPN program.

Whatever you do not pay a school like Kaplan some huge amount. You will not earn it back.

Be sure what a community college is. Kaplan is in your community but that is not what the community means. It does not mean any local affair calling itself a college. It means a 2 year college run by state or other governmental auspices for the benefit of the community. It offers degree programs and students are eligible to transfer to a 4 year college when they finish.

So if you go back to school - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
A course in basic logic would serve you well. I am not being unkind and I am not joking. You are jumping from A to Z in conclusions here. Basic logic would teach you how to not infer meanings that are not there. And avoid community colleges for anything related to MT! :)

Community colleges - Old Pro

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It has been my experience that grads of community colleges have not had nearly enough training. You need the SUM program with lots and lots of actual physician dictation. Most community colleges are way too short.

Community colleges - Old Pro

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I would not hire from community colleges. There may well be some fine grads out there, but my experience has been that they are not nearly extensively well trained. Kind of like hiring an engineer who took only algebra but was not given geometry, trig, or calculus.

Nelly - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
Unfortunately, what you think is erroneous. What you need to do is to check with the pros--speak to an MTSO or two. I know I never had a problem with giving a 15-minute block of time to someone who was honestly inquiring about things. Do an Internet search. Check with the BBB. Come to forums like this. Contact whatever national you prefer and ask them if they hire MTs who are grads of the "Acme or XYZ School of Transcription." Speak with other MTs. Ask those who have experience. Come to this board and ask questions. Do not make assumptions. Anyone can say they are "accredited." That means virtually nothing. Even a simple Google search will reveal that many (most?) of these so-called institutes promise things they cannot deliver. I recommend people to call Andrews and speak to their people on the phone. I have never done that, but I understand from other people that the staff there is very courteous and kind and will tell you what you need to know to make an intelligent choice. Above all, don't waste money on a "cheap" school. It will be the most expensive mistake you have ever made, because some "institute" will have your money and no one will hire you. Be proactive and fend for yourself. There are a lot of sharks out there, especially in this economy. Above all, remember: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. You might want to read some of my other posts in this section--there is one very detailed one about how to choose a school. Good luck to you. Keep your eyes open and don't believe all you hear from potential schools. Ask for the names of some grads you can talk to.

I thought that is what I was doing - nelly

[ In Reply To ..]
I was asking questions on this board, like you recommended.

You are, and you are getting answers, but maybe not the answers you want, right? - We are trying to help

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I see myself posting pretty much at the same time as Old Pro. We are trying very hard to give you good advice. I've agreed with everything Old Pro has said.

Nelly - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes, asking questions on this board is a great FIRST step! Keep on doing it! :) But don't assume because something says it is "accredited," that is the equivalent of "adequate." Accreditation, as someone else has already pointed out, has to do with receiving funding, not with quality assurance. You have made a great first step in coming here and please, do ask questions here and whatever I can answer (42 years of experience in MT), I will be happy to, and I am sure that the other MTs will as well. My point was, you need to talk to MTs who do it all the time. If I want to be a cardiac surgeon, the best thing I can do is to beg an interview with an actual cardiac surgeon and have her tell me the lay of the land, so to speak. Is the residency really that tough? What are the best hospitals in the US for cardiac surgery? Etc. etc. Nobody but a cardiac surgeon herself could give me the kind of "on the ground" answers I would need. Similarly, I am betting that if someone considering one of these "institutes" were to call them and ask the people staffing it if they had ever actually been a transcriptionist, the answer would be no. For all you know, the "institute" is likely 1200 square feet of rented space in some grade B building. Caveat emptor!

Nelly - Please read this - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
Here is the former post, which had aged and gone off the board. Several people said it was helpful, so I am reposting it for you:

Several people have asked me if I think MT is still a viable career. Coincidentally, today as I was cleaning out some files, I found notes from a seminar I gave and thought I would summarize a few of the thoughts, hoping they might be of value to someone out there. (Moderator, if you don't feel this is appropriate, please just delete the post.) First, there are three "myths" to consider: 1. The myth that medical transcription is easy money. Many of the not so reliable schools push this idea and use it to exploit people. It makes me really disheartened that many people who do not have much money to begin with get taken in by this. Shame on the schools who do this! 2. The second myth is that it does not matter where you go to school; you can get a good medical transcription education anywhere. Again, another myth. The old saying that "you get what you pay for" really applies. When I am counseling people face to face, I always advise that the two things they MUST have from any program are the SUM program and real, live instructors. 3. The third myth is that you can always learn "the old fashioned way--on the job." That was true up until perhaps the end of the 70s; it is surely not true now. The marketplace and its structure (and pace) have changed too radically. When interviewing schools, ask questions: 1. Where are your graduates working? Can you give me the names of 2-3 grads who would be willing to share their experience with me? 2. How long has the school been in business? Is it a private entity? A sole proprietorship? Who are the principals? How are your instructors chosen? 3. Do your financial homework. Call the BBB and the Department of Business Regulation for the locality in which the school is registered. Have there been complaints? Have the complaints been satisfactorily resolved? 4. What form of financial aid do you offer? 5. How accessible are your instructors and by what means? E-mail only? Are telephone calls permitted/encouraged? 6. Does your school use authentic physician dictation such as in The SUM program? Or does it merely use scripts read by actors? 7. What type of follow-up does your school offer? Can I "retake" any portions of the course with which I have difficulty? How many tries do I have to pass the final? 8. What kind of placement program do you have? What percentage of your grads get placed? (There should not be a fee for placement.) 9. Utilize the wisdom of the "old salts"--ancient MTs like yours truly who have been in this business for decades. Most older MTs are happy to help newbies. Many people helped me when I was starting out, and in gratitude, I try to help people just starting. Those are just some thoughts that I culled from the seminar I did. I hope something in here helps someone. Have a great week!

I just went to the website - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
of the U.S. Career Institute and saw their schtick about "GET CERTIFIED." To me (I am not a lawyer), this is blatently misleading. What people get is a certificate from the "institute"--and they are NOT certified. No wonder so many newbies are telling people they are CMTs when they are not. (I am not either, because I ethically cannot support the AHDI, but that is a whole other matter.) My point is that it sounds like these schools are deceiving folks.

They actually tell you that you ARE a CMT. - mtlt

[ In Reply To ..]
When you receive the certificate, they tell you that you are a CMT and that you must take a test to renew every (if I remember correctly) three years. I didn't even know that there was such a thing as an RMT until after I started sending out resumes. When you try to contact them after graduation to ask why you are not actually a CMT, they put you on hold for a while and then hang up on you.

mtlt - re: CMT - Old Pro

[ In Reply To ..]
If they are telling you that you are a CMT, then they are committing a fraud. You as well as the AHDI have a cause of action against them. If I were in your shoes, I would call the AHDI and tell them what is happening. Mind you, I am no fan of the AHDI, but this is simply a fraud--against the AHDI, against you, and against the general public. These folks need to be put out of business.

Deleted - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

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