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I heard that "not for profit" schools are taken more seriously. I am getting laid off in April of this year, and I want to get into the medical field. I am taking a TABE exam this evening at a "not for profit" private school.
I was checking out the community colleges for the field I wanted to get into, but there is a 1-2 year waiting list, and I seriously doubt I can be handle being unemployed that long. I only have enough money put away to handle my living expenses, entertainment expenses and driving expenses for two years.
I guess I am trying to figure out if a "not for profit" private school is the same thing as "for profit" private school. I've already been burned twice by "for profit" private schools. I ended up wasting time and money on a certificate that was worthless.
You probably know this - but in case you don't - make sure the school is accredited by the body that "matters" for licensure/certification in the field. For instance, if you are looking to be a lab tech, you go to either ASCP or NAACLS (I forget which one does the accrediting of academic programs right now) and do a program search at their website for the school. For nursing, check with your state board of nursing. For medical assisting, you'd go to the AAMA or ABHES sites to do a program search, and so on...
The for profit private schools can be expensive. They can be well-run or poorly-run. It can vary by program. It can vary by location of a school that has various locations.
I know someone who did the Associates in Nursing at Pima Medical Institute. It was really expensive, but she did not have time to wait for a slot on the wait list at the community college (she is a military spouse and needed to get in and finish the program before they got orders to move). She got through and passed the NCLEX-RN on the first try. She is now gainfully employed as an RN. It can be done at these for-profit schools. You just have to be careful and check out the school and try to find out as much as you can beforehand. The "admissions counselors" at the for-profits are salespeople, so you have to be careful and take your time before putting down your deposit.
You probably know this - but in case you don't - make sure the school is accredited by the body that "matters" for licensure/certification in the field. For instance, if you are looking to be a lab tech, you go to either ASCP or NAACLS (I forget which one does the accrediting of academic programs right now) and do a program search at their website for the school. For nursing, check with your state board of nursing. For medical assisting, you'd go to the AAMA or ABHES sites to do a program search, and so on...
The for profit private schools can be expensive. They can be well-run or poorly-run. It can vary by program. It can vary by location of a school that has various locations.
I know someone who did the Associates in Nursing at Pima Medical Institute. It was really expensive, but she did not have time to wait for a slot on the wait list at the community college (she is a military spouse and needed to get in and finish the program before they got orders to move). She got through and passed the NCLEX-RN on the first try. She is now gainfully employed as an RN. It can be done at these for-profit schools. You just have to be careful and check out the school and try to find out as much as you can beforehand. The "admissions counselors" at the for-profits are salespeople, so you have to be careful and take your time before putting down your deposit.
Good luck!
Thank you. I am in a similar situation. The CCs in my area have a 1-2 year wait, and I have a mortgage and utility bills. I don't have the money to waste or to wait.
I did my research on the school, and the admissions counselor didn't seem like a sales person. Matter of fact, I inquired about the school four months, and she didn't call me back to back like a salesperson would. I called her today, and told her that I wanted to come down to campus today and take the entrance test.
I read some comments about school on the Internet, and everyone said the program is hard as heck, but it's worth it.
Its the private, not-for-profit school you are going to look at today, right? I think its a good sign that she did not constantly call you and pressure you. Also, the chatter you have seen online sounds positive.
There are people out there that would think its nuts to spend so much (the friend that went to Pima probably spent close to 50K) but if you sit down and do the math you may find that getting into the field 1-2 yrs ahead of when you otherwise would could make up the difference in money (and of course there is the intangible value of getting on with your life instead of sitting and waiting).
I wish you the best with the placement test today and hope you can get enrolled soon. I am currently in a holding pattern until we move this summer and am taking one class to keep me from getting frustrated, but still, its hard to wait.
Just curious (b/c the health care field is my area of interest too)...what program are you interested in?
Its the private, not-for-profit school you are going to look at today, right? I think its a good sign that she did not constantly call you and pressure you. Also, the chatter you have seen online sounds positive.
There are people out there that would think its nuts to spend so much (the friend that went to Pima probably spent close to 50K) but if you sit down and do the math you may find that getting into the field 1-2 yrs ahead of when you otherwise would could make up the difference in money (and of course there is the intangible value of getting on with your life instead of sitting and waiting).
I wish you the best with the placement test today and hope you can get enrolled soon. I am currently in a holding pattern until we move this summer and am taking one class to keep me from getting frustrated, but still, its hard to wait.
Just curious (b/c the health care field is my area of interest too)...what program are you interested in?
MRI technician.
Both of my parents worked in the medican field, and most of my relatives work in that field too. I shouldn't have a hard time trying to find a job after I graduate.
The program is $27,000.
The starting pay is $20-25 for a graduate right of school.
I have heard that is an enjoyable job in terms of the work and also the environment with your coworkers.
I'm heading towards applying to a PharmD program or a CLS (Medical Technologist) program - next year I am taking what is left of the prereqs I don't have (basically Organic Chemistry and maybe Physics - how well I do in those classes will guide me in whether those programs will work out for me.
I heard that "not for profit" schools are taken more seriously.
Yes, they are. Not for profit private colleges generally have higher admission standards. Since they are not for profit, they can be selective in their admission policies and only select the individuals that they believe will best fit their school (to what ever degree).
For-profit colleges are just that, they exists to solely make a profit. They may not all be bad schools, but since they are in the business to make a buck, they have very low admission standards because they want as many people coming in through their doors who are willing to pay their price.
So no, they are not the same thing.
My neighbor goes to the local CC for Radiography Tech. He says that when he enrolled, there was a two year waiting list, but what most students do while they are waiting is to take all of their other courses they do not need to wait on in order to get them out of the way because the only thing that they were wait listed for were the clinicals and those don't begin until after the first year of classes. He said that most students applied for jobs at the local hospital or other medical facilities when they began doing their clinicals.
He also said that not everyone is wait listed for that long because many people drop out, change their mind, move on to something else because they don't want to wait, or don't have the required grades to move on (can't earn less than a B in any course).
I have heard that is an enjoyable job in terms of the work and also the environment with your coworkers.
I'm heading towards applying to a PharmD program or a CLS (Medical Technologist) program - next year I am taking what is left of the prereqs I don't have (basically Organic Chemistry and maybe Physics - how well I do in those classes will guide me in whether those programs will work out for me.
Lisdol:
I am wondering what kind of school you are taking your prereq's at because my husband also wants to either pursue pharmD or medical technologist/lab tech/biology and is we are trying to figure out how to get these prereq's done while being covered by student loans. My husband currently has a bachelors and he is being told by the pharmD school that getting loans to cover another bachelors in bio to finish the prereqs will be hard, so we are not sure if he should try and get a masters in bio (which would cover the prereq's he is missing for pharmD) or what. the admissions counselor said he should either get another bachelors or go to a community college but I thought you have to be on a track at a comm college to get loans. This is all confusing and Im wondering if the admissions counselor didnt help us enough or if at this age we are supposed to be able to figure this out for ourselves... anyhow, if you wish to share any of the steps you are/have taken with the prereq's that would be great!
Look at it this way, would you rather attend a school that makes budgetary decisions based on what is best for the students or best for the stakeholders in the school??
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anyhow, if you wish to share any of the steps you are/have taken with the prereq's that would be great! 
