I spent an hour reviewing the website and it screams SCAM!
Whoever wrote it uses words and sentence structure not common for the average American. I am not basing this on the above posts by the woman with a foreign sounding name, but if you take the time and read all the little snippets, the descriptive words, it just is not American-speak.
I copied this from the website: "Our former clients work in a wide ranging variety of emergency medical service jobs. Our large client database gives us an “in” with a large number of employers in this field, after all; most of them were former students.
We only employ first rate, top quality, high caliber staff and instructors. Their portfolios speak for themselves."
This school was established in 2005 and in those 5 short years, they have managed to train "Most" of the current employers who are now looking to hire the next batch of students??? Sorry, I call bullschitt.
Also, the site mentions the portfolios...well, where are they? You should be proud, you should have these on display and they should be easily verifiable. I can pull up any number of legitimate schools (even other online schools) and very quickly see pictures and resumes of the instructors.
I read through all the testimonials from former students as well. Again, the language choice by these 14 day wonders simply do not sound realistic. We all know the job market and we know the salary for EMTs, yet every single one of them have had life transforming jobs and now they no longer live paycheck to paycheck and their kids are going to have such great lives because Mommy is now employed...it was absolutely ridiculous the stuff I read.
Then I started looking through the job postings. As most of you know, I keep my nose to the ground and if there is a job posted online, I usually see it. I review about 9 different job sites almost daily because I like helping people out (maybe I need to charge). Anyways, as you read through the jobs, there is nothing on there you could not find yourself from any search engine.
In addition to that, the jobs listed were not EMT jobs, they were for Intermediates, Paramedics, Home Health Aides, PAs...they just throw a whole bunch of crap in there to make it look promising. Also, the monster salary of "up to 54K a year" which is one of the large banners cleverly states EMTs/Paramedics can make up to this amount...some poor schmuck is gonna think his EMT patch is gonna make him those wages with minimal effort.
Finally, I printed off the acceptance letter/contract and reviewed it carefully for the legal mumbo jumbo.
Here is what I found and want answers or explanations to:
Page 1 Para 1: UC is "associated with eight of the most prestigious doctors in the country"
Can you please name these 8 and tell me what the association is? Who says they are the 8 most prestigious and why? And what does association with them have to do with the program?
Page 1 Para 2: What is this School of Medicine that is constantly referred to? I do not understand the rest of this paragraph...me flying to Indiana for the skills portion is contingent upon me achieving CPR, National Cert, State cert and an online GPA of 3.0???
How am I supposed to have these things if I have not flown out and done the skills portion? To me, this indicates you want me to be fully licensed and then you are flying me somewhere for a ride along and hospital observation time...thanks I can arrange that on my own. If this is not the case, then your wording sucks and needs to be corrected.
Page 2: Fees...your list of fees looks like a bad mortgage broker's deal, maybe you took their lessons.
Registration fee-High but expected
Books- Do you give the option of them finding their own...100 can be lower (which book is it?
Uniform Rental- Charge 25 bucks for what--a shirt? And they do not even own it at the end. Do they really need to be in a uniform for 2 weeks? Especially when you advise them to bring enough clothes for two weeks and money for laundry. Or is this the shirt they wear twice? Once on the ambo and once in the ER, 8 hours each time.
CPR/Live scan- Fees are high but is expected.
Service Charge- $55? What service? No unexplained fees please...
Student Tuition recovery fund- $10 What the hell is this?
Textbook Shipping and handling- $20 bucks...are you serious? Couple dollars at most via US mail
Room/Board/Breakfast/Kitchen- You need to post pictures of where I will stay and the address so I can ensure my safety or health. You also clearly state later on that breakfast consists of bread and dry cereal only. This charge seems VERY LOW for 2 weeks worth of housing...hope the rats do not eat much.
Resume writing- 600 bucks!! I really need to get in this market if people are paying that for an EMT job which typically involves NO resume to get. You fill out an online application or paper application and that is it. Seriously, do employers really NEED to see a resume for an EMT position? We have had this discussion before on this site...WHAT A SCAM!
Job Placement Assistance- $1500!!! Another SCAM...your ads are from online search engines, you really have no more capability of getting someone in a job in their own town than they do by going in themselves.
Do you give them the right to refuse the resume writing and job placement help or is it a take it or leave it deal? Screams scam to me...
Admin tuition...ok higher than any local college but you need to charge.
Out of state prep fee- 100 bucks!! What are you prepping for...this is just another bogus fee.
Pelham Training Center- High fees again
Travel Credit- 300 bucks how is it a credit if you are charging for it??? And what is a travel credit????
Ok, now that I have dissected the bogus fees...let us look at the terms carefully.
Please note that EVERYTHING is NON REFUNDABLE.
Also, this is important: Their job placement assistance ENDS 30 days after your 14 days of training. There is no guarantee of a job and you have to ask yourself, how could a company in California possibly help you get a paid EMT job in Cheraw, South Carolina (pick any place).
Ahhh Page 3...They allow you to take the test as many times as you want until you achieve a GPA of 3.0
Page 4: YOU buy your plane ticket to Indiana. They also make it sound so easy...after 14 days, get your national and get your state license. They do not mention the hoops you need to jump through or the fees you need to pay to individual states for this...that is all your cost and time.
Also remember this: Your job assistance ends 30 days after your 14 days of training. How many of you think you will have a state license before that 30 day period ends? no state license = no job!
I want to see the menu for this catered food, I want to see instructor's resumes/credentials, how do you assure "national certification in all 50 states" like page 4 says?
Page 5: Contradicts Page 4...you said catered meals and then you tell me only breakfast is provided but I can cook if I want in the hotel room or I can eat at local restaurants. Please explain?
Then you end with the job placement service which is offered AFTER I get my state license. Yeh, no thanks, I am a big boy and I can apply myself to local departments...please let me save the 1500 bucks you charge so I may use it for fuel driving around.
Page 6: Top 9 reasons...
#9 There are 210K jobs...how many of them are vacant?
#8 "most stable job offered by the state" how many of you work for the state?
#7 Read it and laugh "so many call 911 for help"...thats the reason
#6 Brag about dumbing down the profession...you also mention Paramedic.
#5 work anywhere I want eh? Just call local FD or hospital...umm how about the state licensing board...you are not even referring people to the right place...idiots!
#4 Yes there are job choices, but to make it sound so easy...poor form!
#3 No you dont have everything already set up...I have to do the state part.
#2 Start work right away? Really? How many EMT grads are still looking for jobs months later??
#1 Wow I get a free airport shuttle...who ever heard of such generosity??? The rest is just repetitive BS.
Yes I wrote a lot but I am pissed off. This is total BS and I do not want anyone to fall for it.