American Career College Reviews

Let's be clear, however... You're not just passing instruments! You will be required to set up complicated and very expensive equipment (we're talking in the thousands) before the OR proc. even starts, which you may, or may not be allowed to even touch while you're doing your mandatory clinical rotation. Why not? Because it's not about what you do right, it's all about what you do wrong! If you anger a surgeon in the slightest - that's it. Everyone in the matter of seconds finds out what you did wrong - even if it's not too terrible.

If you succeed at setting up, know this, you have to do everything with lightning fast precision and accuracy. Fast? NO! Lightning fast!! If you're the type of person who does things kinda fast and you're just kinda organized - believe me, you will most likely fail. Everyone in this environment is SUPER OCD about every single thing. EXAMPLE: You could be working on a procedure lasting eight hours and do everything right. But, if you pass something to the surgeon at the last moment too slow or incorrectly, you'll get SCREAMED AT for not being focused - sometimes, even banished from even returning to the operating room.

The OR environment is kinda like "Hunger Games" in that, if you have a hard time forging alliances with people who work there - forget it, you will be isolated and forgotten and you'll be wondering why it seems that every five minutes a different surgeon is yelling at you for incompetency. Now, let's talk about what the school (ACC) DOES NOT provide...

1. Small classes (forget it!) The classes are PACKED and no one is necessarily encouraged to drop if they're performing poorly. 2. Large variety of instruments and specialty instruments (forget it!) You get to practice with a general instrument tray and some laparoscopic instruments -- that is, before the next student's turn (No! You don't get to take anything home to practice with). 3. ACC admissions will not reveal the fact one is required to pass a 20-minute setup test in the surg. tech lab - you get three chances; otherwise, do not pass, go and do not collect $200.00 (regardless of your GPA) and they'll make you come back after 20 weeks to try again.

Bottom line: Success in this field is hardly about grades!!!!!! ACC doesn't say it, but what it wants are students who are physically/mentally super-fast, accurate, and super-attentive to detail to the point of being almost OCD. Know this, too, in the OR, more often than not, it will be just you and the surgeon so don't think for a second you'll be able to wing it and keep a job...

Yes, my class was full off 20 & over females (moms) who acted like high school brats, always dramatic with everything. I would've thought they'd be more mature, always bringing negative vibe into the classroom. I always minded my own business, kept my circle small and talked to everyone regardless if they didn't "speak" to someone around me & I was the youngest in the class, I had just turned 18.

Anywho, another downside, we always ran out of materials. Sometimes we couldn't practice injection because we had no injections or band-aids, etc... We didn't have vacutainers or enough iodine ink but we ran out of stuff. Either way we worked with what we had. Anyways my experience wasn't so bad those 8 months. The last month before going out to extern, we were suppose to have mock interviews, tips on how to dress for an interview, all that prep stuff. Somehow, it didn't happened & right after my last day of class, I hadn't heard anything about my externship site. I was concerned but I didn't have time to stay after school and ask.

That afternoon, I got home to receive a call that I had an interview the very next morning. I was caught absolutely off guard, I didn't know what to wear, what to say, what to do, I wasn't expecting that. Whatever, I went to the interview but didn't get the job. They set me up for another interview and that one I did get, & I loved it! I loved that site and I actually did get hired. I'm working there till this day. They offered me minimum wage to start off which I expected more. I never worked at a job for minimum wage & c'mon, minimum wage for MA. But I guess at least I got the job, and yes, thanks to ACC, I am now in the medical field.

Soon after I started my externship, I received calls saying I was going to be dropped from the program because I wasn't sending in my time sheets, but in reality the coordinator wouldn't take the time out to read his email. Also after my graduation, they said that the diploma would be ready within 2 weeks. Guess who got to wait a month for it NOT to be there? Now I have to wait an additional 2 weeks for it to come in. The whole school was and is a complete WASTE OF TIME & MONEY!

I sincerely feel that I am not where I should be at this point, so close to "graduating." Her teaching style and grading methods do not make any sense, and I honestly think that she just makes up the grades at the end of the module based on whether she likes you or not. Other students have complained about her performance and when it gets back to her, she singled them out in class and threatened the students by making statements, such as: "The last student who complained got put on academic probation," and, "No one is going to hire you." And was also stated that if we don't like how this classroom is run, then we should just move to a different class.

I am paying hard-earned money to basically teach my self. She is of no help in the lab and gets frustrated and gives the students an attitude when we ask for help. She said that we should already know what to do. She is there to instruct, which means that if we need help, she should jump through hoops to try and get us to understand the material, but instead she always replies with disdain, "I don't know. Look in your book." Her teaching methods are a joke. This school focuses on students following a dress code more than they care about their students understanding the material. It is frustrating to be paying for an education I don't feel I am receiving. I would not recommend attending ACC to anyone.

She has a problem pronouncing the words that she calls herself grading us for. She doesn't get her lesson plan or materials together in a timely manner (and it shows). And she makes rules up as she goes along. She does not proof read any of her work, so there are mistakes. She jumps in student conversations. And I/we know more about her business than we should. She belittles students in class. And she has gone as far as calling my husband a "sugar daddy" in front of the class because he pays my bills. She was not made to apologize at all! And of course, an excuse was given for that.

My husband and I had a meeting with Mrs. ** and Mrs. **. I had written a letter that mapped out all of the problems and they both read it. Mrs. ** was given an opportunity to speak/give her side of the story. She was at a lost for words! We couldn't even buy a vowel out of her! She had no defense whatsoever. It seemed like after the meeting, she was doing a little better but it has declined. She is arrogant and manipulative and that is not a good mixture. I was told by both Mrs ** and Mrs. ** and I quote: " If I don't like what is going on and if I am so dissatisfied, I have the option to go to another class." It appears like instead of rectifying the situation, she gets away with whatever she chooses.

The majority of the students are young and I am a few years younger than my teacher. I know more about the law, and have previous working experiences. It seems to me that she is threatened or intimidated by that fact. Either way, I am paying for this education and I deserve the right to get a decent one. If I would have known what I know now, I would have taken this course at a regular college for a few thousand dollars. Mind you, I am a cash student! They have gotten $4000 plus from me. I pay $1000 per month and have 4 more months left. I don't know what else to do at this point. Something needs to be done immediately, because I need my education that I am paying for!

A month prior to graduation, the instructor informs me they had become unaccredited and Kaiser or any other hospital will not hire anyone from American Career College. Then I was told for internship, I will go to a great place and be hired on there. Again a lie! They sent me to a Spanish speaking facility. I speak English and my instructor knew this. I couldn't get that job either because I am not bilingual! I tried a few different places myself and again couldn't get hired because I am not bilingual. So now I work in a garden supply store and owe thousands of dollars to this crappy ** company who promise their attendees great things then in the end, like to ** them over. Thanks American Career College you know how to set people up with a great career. Not!

I since gave up the profession and started to go to real college. I complained that to the director of education name Rita **, and she pretty much call me a liar. And since I went to complain about my bad experience, they have not even bother calling me to let me know that they have addressed the issue, or even corrected the discrimination issue that I explain to her that I had with one of the employees. I was called a ** by Marcy **. I have complaint with the better business b. and consumer affairs. I also have contacted an attorney because I am tired of getting the round of round.

I have tried to follow the proper channels and nothing. I'm in the process of getting evicted because I have to pay my rent. I called Mr. Rick ** and his advise was to go and beg a temp agency and ask for any type of job. I told him what was the point of me paying American career 22,000 dollars to better my life if I'm going to be doing that. I want a refund because all I got were lies and now I'm going thru the hardship of being homeless, because I'm still not working and I'm not able to pay my rent.

I experienced lots of collection letters and waste of schooling. I went under false pretenses. Later on, after graduation I met a friend, who told me she works at American Career College. She gets a big commission on every student she can enroll. They are allowed to say whatever they can as long as they are enrolling students. There is a lot of pressure. They could lose their job if they don't keep their numbers up. So they say anything to get people in the school.

I never once touched any of the money they took. I graduated in 2002, and worked in the field for 5 years thereafter in menial-wage jobs, never having had any help from their job assistance program past doing my internship, and never making enough money to pay back my student loan. I worked for a non-medical entity for a few years before I was laid off after the economic breakdown. I returned to ACC for assistance in finding a job and re-certification as I had been promised when I first attended, and was met with a rude program director (Wendy ***) who told me that I no longer qualified for refresher courses because they had been discontinued after 2006. And that I would have to retake the course and pay the tuition all over again. After that conversation, I went to the job placement office to find out if they had any jobs and they only offered me volunteer positions, and not legitimate job offers because I was no longer certified.

I have not been able to get hired in any medical setting because I no longer carry any certifications, even though I still retain most of the knowledge I acquired when attending the school. Because I have not been able to pay off the loans I signed for, I also cannot receive financial aid from the community college I am attending now, and have to front all the costs associated with continuing my education. I attempted to call the Fed to discuss this situation and possibly forgive part of my loan, but no one wanted to hear my story. They concluded that because I completed the course, I have to pay the money back. This is not fair. I have to pay money for an education I can no longer utilize, and I don't know what to do at this point. I maxed out my unemployment benefits and have to settle into a security job that pays less than I was receiving on unemployment.

Any assistance as to what I should do would be greatly appreciated, as this student loan is the only real debt I carry and have no escape from. Thank you.

I since gave up the profession and started to go to real college. Also a year after graduation, I was getting automatic withdraws of $100.00 taken from my bank account, and my loan stayed at it's original amount. I stopped paying, switched banks, and somehow, the money from my account was withdrawn from ACS, a loan agency that American Career College works with.

I complained that I had no problem to pay back, but if my loan is not credited then, I'm not gonna be stupid and keep wasting money. I experienced hardships through lots of collection letters and waste of schooling. I went under false pretenses. Later on after graduation, I met a friend, who told me she works at American Career College. She gets a big commission on every student she can enroll. They are allowed to say whatever they can as long as they are enrolling students. There is a lot of pressure they could lose their job if they don't keep their numbers up. So they say anything to get people in the school.

While in school, we changed instructors 4 times, which made it hard to learn the new instructors teaching methods, along with the materials. I didn't feel I was learning very much. Some days, no instructor would show up and we would be in the classroom waiting. We would go to the front desk, they never knew what was going on.

My tuition was $12,500. They actually charged me more than that. I just happened to notice. I was making $90.00 Payments. I noticed none of that money was being applied. I had finally had it squared away, after much complaining. My loans start this month. I am trying to defer them a year, because I have no way of paying them.

I have not received any support in finding a job. Finding one fresh out of school is hard enough. Now, with time lapsing farther and farther, from when I graduated, I fear nobody will every hire me. I have found, since graduating, other schools offer the computer software classes that go with medical assisting. I felt I was cheated in this area. Along with having an instructor who was there with us the entire course. It has put me under a lot of stress, worrying if I will ever find a job or be able to pay the loan.

After a few months went by, I got a call in November asking if I found a job and asking if I have been looking which I have. I sent out over 1000 emails with my resume and still nothing. One guy did call me in December stating that they lost my resume and email to please go in and give it to them. They also requested me to send my in an email, which I had done so then called me back within minutes and requested me to send it as a Word doc. At the time, I didn't have Word 2007 on my laptop. After stating my situation, Angela said for me to drive over there and convert it then go home. It's a 45 minute without traffic, one hour 30 minute drive with traffic one way. I said this to her and she couldn't do anything to help me unless I didn't do that.

First off, I don't have the money to be wasting to go do something for a whole three minutes then drive back. I don't see why she couldn't have helped me out that one time. It is now Feb 2010 and no call from school except my student loan they want me to pay, a sum of $13,000. Me and my friends came up with the idea that this school will only talk to you if you have a credit score.