Know anything about those medical assistant schools you see on TV?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by SurfDoctor, Nov 2, 2011.

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  1. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Just curious here: I've been sick with a nasty cold/flu all week, home from work and, heaven forbid, have watched a little daytime television. Right after a rerun of "Bewitched" came a commercial for Westwood College offering to train young people to be medical assistants in 9 months? The commercial consisted of two young ladies talking about their friend who finished the 9 month school and immediately "got a great job as a medical assistant." Immediately following that commercial was a competitor's commercial offering the same thing. Two in a row, sheesh!

    I know nothing about the medical field, but that seems a bit overly optimistic to me. Does anyone have insight into these career schools and the employability of their graduates?
     
  2. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    I have several friends who are medical assistants and who went through similar programs. It worked for them. I'm not sure how much they make, but they seem to be paying their bills, and drinking their Starbucks, just fine.
     
  3. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    Career schools with 9 month programs for medical assistants have been around for decades. Note that they are diploma or certificate programs, not degree programs. The more reputable schools tend to be accredited by either the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) or the Accrediting Council of Independent Schools and Colleges (ACICS), both of which are recognized agencies.
     
  4. rook901

    rook901 New Member

    Haven't heard of Westwood. Did a little searching. Is this westwood.edu?

    Their site lists the total cost of the Medical Assistant program as $23,290. You could get an AS in nursing for a fraction of that, and you would make much more money and have more opportunity. Sure, the AS would take more time. However, paying $23k for an MA diploma is, in my opinion, a horrible investment.

    For the most part, MA's work in doctor's offices. In my area (Tennessee), they do not work in hospitals, nursing homes, or any other areas. I have worked with an MA in a correctional facility, but she was only allowed to do administrative work and draw blood. Otherwise, she was not allowed to function in any patient-care capacity (couldn't even take vital signs for us due to company policy).

    Also, MA's are paid a pitifully poor wage. Doctors are happy to hire MA's instead of nurses. Why? Because they can hire an MA for $10-12 an hour and can have them do most of what a nurse would do, only for a much lower salary.

    I have nothing against MA's, but I do take issue with these career schools that lure students in with promises of, "You'll pretty much be a nurse" or, "MA's are taking over; nursing is being phased out". Yes, I have heard of poor, suckered MA students making these statements on a nursing forum that I frequent.

    Another consideration is competition for jobs. With so many MA's being pumped out by these schools, and so few opportunities, it's very difficult to secure employment. My aunt went through an MA program (against my advice) after she completed a Phlebotomy program. Years after graduating, she's still working as a Phlebotomist and hasn't been able to get an MA job.

    So, on top of the $23k of debt, you've got slim prospects of finding a $10-12/hr job in a doctor's office with zero upward mobility. Do you really want to deal with that?

    If you want to quickly get into healthcare, I'd suggest going either the CNA or EMT route. CNA is 5 weeks and you can usually find a program under $500 (free, if you can find a sponsoring nursing home). CNA is hard work that doesn't pay well (about the same pay as MA in my area), but it is a foot in the door, and the right employer will pay for your nursing school.

    EMT is also short and cheap. If you can find the right community college, you can do a fast track EMT-B course in one semester. Again, you'll only come out making about $12/hr depending on your area. But, you'll have a foot in the healthcare door and will possibly work for a company that will pay for further education.

    I can pretty much assure you that a doctor will NOT pay to further your education from MA to nurse, because the doctor wants to keep your salary as low as possible.

    If there's anything else I can help you with, feel free to PM me. I have been in healthcare for 6 years. Started out as an LPN in 2005, got my EMT in 2008 so that I could see the other side of the coin, then got my RN in January of this year.

    Good luck to you.
     
  5. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Good info, rook901. Thank you very much. I had a feeling that it was exactly as you said and those schools were, to some extent, exploiting young people looking for a career.
     
  6. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    In my area the latest ads focus on the fact that they'll tutor you towards your GED while also giving you the medical vocational training. If it's true it might be a good thing. I just don't know the reality.
     
  7. rook901

    rook901 New Member

    To me, it just depends on the price. No education is wasted. However, if you're spending more on a 9-month "career diploma" than you would spend on an accredited 2-year associate's degree, you're definitely getting the short end of the stick. How do you pay off a $23k loan making $12/hr? I could barely even pay my monthly bills on that low of a wage, let alone consider paying $300+ a month on the loan for the next 10 years.

    If the MA program were $1,000, it would possibly be worth it. Anything higher than that is rape for an MA diploma. Even my LPN program years ago was only about $3,000 total (including books and uniforms) for a 1-year program, with exponentially more opportunity than an MA program.
     
  8. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Here's something more like it! US Career School's on-line Medical Assistant course, $1279 total.

    Online Medical Assistant School - Medical Assisting Online - Medical Assistant Certification - U.S. Career Institute

    Schools like Westwood are (in)famous by reason of their exorbitant fees! US Career Institute also has some Associate degree programs around the $6,000 mark, last time I looked. I think the parent org. is Weston Learning.

    Contrast this $6K or so for a US Career School Associate Degree with Westwood's cost, (from costowl.com)

    Associates Degree (AAS) – It costs $38,000 to $41,000 to earn an Associate Degree of Applied Science from Westwood College.

    And NO - I have NO affiliation with either school.

    Johann
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 3, 2011
  9. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    This just in...

    Ann Rohr, President of Weston Distance Learning, the parent co. of McKinley College, U.S. Career Institute and At-Home Professions, has just been elected an Executive Member of the DETC's Accrediting Commission. (Weston's schools, listed above, are DETC accredited.)

    You can read about it here: http://www.uscareerinstitute.edu/?s=accreditation

    For comparison:

    Westwood - nationally accredited by ACICS and ACCSC
    U.S. Career Institute - nationally accredited by DETC.

    On the face of it, I can find no reason why Westwood has to charge maybe 6 times as much as U.S. Career Inst. for a degree or 18-19 times as much for a career diploma. Certainly not for accreditation reasons!
    Johann
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 3, 2011
  10. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    I think I know why the tuition at Westwood is so high; they have to pay for all of those TV commercials somehow. :deal:
     
  11. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Ain't that the....

    Ain't that the truth, the whole truth and nuthin' but the truth! First turn off your TV! Then pick a school!

    Johann
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 3, 2011
  12. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    Medical Assistants are a click above Certified Nursing Assistants. CNAs attend a 6 week (+/-) course and make roughly minimum wage or a buck more (I have one of these). MAs need between 1-2 semesters and can add a buck or two to upon graduation (sister in law is an MA). MAs do a lot less poop wiping, usually working in doctor's offices (the person taking your blood pressure before the doc comes in might be an MA, especially in private practice). So, we're still talking poverty level. CNAs and MAs are usually non credit courses FWIW. Now, if you are willing to do credit courses you can net $2-3 more per hour if do an ENTIRE year and get your LPN at the local community college. You can live on an LPN wage, expect $15/hr. Of course the golden rung is the 2 year RN programs, in which case you'll be STARTING at about $25/hr. Not bad for an associate's degree!
     
  13. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Jennifer, do you have any idea how the employment outlook is for RN's? I heard they were in demand awhile ago, but I would assume that the void has now been filled and there will be a glut of RN's looking for jobs now.
     
  14. rook901

    rook901 New Member

    Not Jennifer here, but I'll pipe in. RN's are not in demand like they were years ago. The economic slump has caused many retired nurses to come back into the workforce, or part-timers to go full-time (due to spouses losing their jobs and pensions). New grads now are having a hell of a time finding jobs because all we've heard for the past several years is "nursing shortage nursing shortage nursing shortage".

    It's still not bad, though. If you're not too picky about going straight into a specialty, you can find a job. You're not going to start out at $25/hr though, unless you're in an area with a high cost of living. I live in Memphis, TN and the average starting rate here is about $20-21/hr, not including shift/weekend differential or critical care differential.

    Still better than getting an MA diploma and no job. ;)

    As for the online MA program mentioned above, be cautious when considering any online entry-level healthcare program. If there is no clinical component to a healthcare program, you can be certain that you won't be ready for the job. Employers are going to take that into consideration. Even with the Excelsior LPN-to-RN program, there is a stigma because there are no clinicals. No consideration is given to the fact that one must prove their skill level with the CPNE. The vast majority of employers do not care, so long as your RN license is unencumbered, but some coworkers have a low opinion of "online nurses".
     

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