Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Medical Assistants
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Texas School of Business, LSCS, San Antonio College, and Texas School of Business-Friendswood.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Texas School of Business-Friendswood, Texas School of Business, Anamarc, and The Academy of Health Care Professions.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Laredo Community College, South Texas College, El Paso Community College, and Mountain View College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider El Centro and HCC.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Anamarc, HCC, Howard College, and San Jacinto Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of TSTC Harlingen, Kilgore College, Cisco College, and Howard College.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Howard College, Kilgore College, College of the Mainland, and TSTC Harlingen.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Texas Careers • San Antonio, TX
Studying Medical Assisting (completion in 1998)
• 12/27/2011
"I got all the education and training I needed to set me off in the right direction. Everyone was so helpful and eager to help, and there was always an atmosphere of joy and learning."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I attended Texas Careers in 1998. I have heard of the vast improvements they've made since then. Since I had such a good experience then, I would definitely recommend Texas Careers to anyone considering a career in medical assisting. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Most students are really satisfied with the training they received. To this day, I talk to people who trained at Texas Careers and were helped to find good jobs after training. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Texas Careers provided me with excellent hands-on training. The teachers were nice, helpful, and very knowledgeable. |
| Instruction | 9 | I was taught by an RN and an LPN. That type of training ensured that the teachers were well qualified and able to answer any questions I had. |
| How Difficult | 7 | A lot of the material came easy to me, due to my personal interests and studies in the health field. In addition, we practiced daily the types of duties we'd be performing on the job, such as phlebotomy, heights and weights, taking blood pressure, etc. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The experience was very hands on. We performed injections and blood draws on each other, as well as simple height and weight measuring and blood pressure. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | They were not all that flexible as far as offering night and weekend classes. Online options are still not available, as far as I know. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | There were tutors and study groups readily available. Also, the staff was always there to help with any problems or concerns. |
| Social Life | 8 | I had a pretty good network of friends and associates while I was training. There were plenty of events as well that I attended most of the time. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Texas Careers has an excellent job placement program. Their success rate is 8 in 10 students finding a job within 6 weeks after graduation. |
| Alumni Network | There was no apparent alumni network. The staff members were simply helpful medical professionals who were dedicated to the students. |
NIT • San Antonio, TX
Studying Medical Assistant (completion in 2003)
• 1/1/2012
"Overall, I was satisfied with the school I went to. I learned a lot. The only thing that was lacking was the job placement."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | The school I went to has since changed its name, so I'm not sure what kind of school it is now. |
| Program Reputation | Not sure; I went to the school almost 9 years ago and it has since changed its name. | |
| Program Quality | 8 | I felt they could have included more computer training than they did, and the computer program they were teaching was outdated. |
| Instruction | 8 | Although the instructors were good, some of them were from Mexico and were very hard to understand. However, overall, it was good. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The program was neither hard nor easy; I felt it was average. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school was a mix of learning from the books and learning hands on. Labs were very hands on, which was great. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I felt that the school's schedule was very flexible. They had both evening and morning classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The school I went to did not have a library. The classrooms, labs and study groups were all average. There were small classes, which were great. The labs were also small, which I liked. |
| Social Life | This doesn't apply to the school I went to, as it was more of a trade school. | |
| Placement Services | 1 | I felt the job placement was very poor. They didn't help with resumes or job interviews; the only thing they did was fax resumes for you. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | They did have an alumni network and I was a part of it; however, it was not helpful, nor was there any advantage to being part of the alumni. |
Blinn College • Bryan, TX
Studying Emergency Medical Services (completion in 2011)
• 12/27/2011
"Overall, they got the job done. I was able to get a job, so that was a plus."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend this school, as it's one of the only ones in the area. But if you could go somewhere else, I would encourage that first. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | Out of two schools in town for this career, I would say ours rates top. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I feel that my school ranks average. We didn't have as much training equipment as I expected. |
| Instruction | 4 | Instruction was subpar. I feel this is due to different instructors changing out during different parts of instruction. |
| How Difficult | 7 | A student in this program is required to have more knowledge than normal laypeople, so there are very technical things one must learn. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Book was stressed a lot. I think it was due to a lack of funds for hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | You either take a day or night class. So I would say it ranks with most schools, from my experience. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | Books were readily available for everyone to use, but they lacked hands-on equipment for sure. |
| Social Life | 7 | Plenty of students in the program. They were good people. I was able to make a lot of friends. |
| Placement Services | 5 | On a few different occasions, they had different employers come in. This was very useful, as I think it resulted in a few classmates getting jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | Our alumni are subpar. This is due to the fact that we are a feeder school for a major university. |
Allied Health Careers • Austin, TX
Studying Certified Medical Assistant (completion in 2007)
• 2/26/2012
"I feel my school served exactly the purpose it promised. The only complaint I had with the school was that it was quite expensive to attend."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend the school to others because I had great success there. If others were attempting to enter the Medical Assisting field, I would tell them that the school I attended was one that accomplished its goals in serving its students. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The reputation of the program I attended helped me to get a job even before I graduated. I also know many other alumni that consider the program to be well worth their time and effort and would recommend the program to other people. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The program I attended was very comprehensive. They trained me in every aspect of the job I currently do very thoroughly. When I graduated, I felt confident and prepared. |
| Instruction | 10 | The teachers knew exactly what they were talking about. All of the teachers were experienced professionals with real insight to practical application of the skills they were teaching. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I am generally a good student, so the material was easy for me to learn. Other people did feel challenged during the program. I felt like the material was taught in a way that fostered success. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was very pleased at the equal mix of kinetic and audio/visual learning. We had classroom and lab hours on a daily basis. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The school offered day classes and evening classes. I believe the school could have been more comprehensive in its offerings if it had offered classes on the weekend as well. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Each teacher had dedicated hours for tutoring available. Study sessions were available in the fully stocked library. There was a computer lab fully equipped with the most recent medical software and usually a teacher there to assist even in off hours. |
| Social Life | 5 | There was a sense of solidarity among our classmates. There was not really any outings scheduled outside of school, but they did attempt to do some fun cookouts during our lunch breaks. There were no athletics offered as I attended a technical school. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The school helped people learn how to behave in an interview in order to acquire a job. The school also offered career placement assistance for life. I believe these two offerings were very useful and helped many students transition into the workforce after graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Even after graduation the school provides services that would help alumni to get a job. The school also provided services that helped alumni pay off student loans. |
Naval Hospital Corps School • San Antonio, TX
Studying Corpsman (completion in 2006)
• 3/3/2012
"What I learned prepared me for what I would see and do for my first year. I wish they had more computers and more assistance with homework."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It has changed since I went there, and I hear for the best. I always recommend people to go into the medical field. It's a growing field with excellent growth possibilities. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Among the services, we are almost at the top. We are looked at as the strongest and smartest, but not the best supplied. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It was classroom based with clinicals at the end. The instructors were not too motivating. |
| Instruction | 9 | I have learned so much from my supervisors and Doctors. The learning never stops - everyday is something new and I like that. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was tough, especially towards the end. More time in the clinicals/hands on would have been helpful. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Mostly book and computer based. The hands on portion was at the tail end of the instruction. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Great schedule - M-F, no nights, weekends, or holidays. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Computer access was available 24/7. All study material was in our books. |
| Social Life | 8 | All were extremely proud to be learning a new trade. Partying was very common on the weekends, but there were no social events or athletics. |
| Placement Services | 7 | We always have a job while serving or when we get out. No shortage of work for a healthcare professional with experience. |
Central Texas College • Killeen, TX
Studying Pharmacy Technician Certification (completion in 2012)
• 4/6/2012
"They could have taught better. For the money you pay they should have at least."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | They don't teach you enough. You won't be fully prepared |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It's just an average school. Nothing fantastic about it. |
| Program Quality | 7 | They did not teach me everything I needed to know. I felt unprepared when I entered the work force. |
| Instruction | 7 | They did not teach me everything I needed to know. I felt unprepared when I entered the work force. |
| How Difficult | 2 | It was fairly easy. You just have to pay attention. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | You have to make IVs and prepare lots of medicine. They just didn't teach it right. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | It was a fixed schedule. It was also in the afternoon so I could go after work. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | They didn't have many books or things to help us. It was just the teacher to help when he was available. |
| Social Life | 7 | I had to take this course very seriously. You have to or you won't succeed. |
| Placement Services | 5 | After you complete the course they just drop you. They don't help you find a job. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | The graduates are not connected. We will never return to that school. |
North West Vista College • San Antonio, TX
Studying Biology (completion in 2009)
• 4/7/2012
"It got to me where I am so I feel it did an average job. I think it needs more on hands training to be more successful for future students."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I think there are better schools out there and that future students should do their research before enrolling. Consider distance from home as well, something that I failed to take into consideration that meant a lot in rating this school. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Everyone who graduates seems very pleased with the program. Everyone could always improve though. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I loved learning, but wasn't happy with the extra classes I needed from the school. It was an extra expense for a class that didn't pertain to my career goals. |
| Instruction | 5 | Fairly good, but could always be better. More hands on learning would be a plus. |
| How Difficult | 7 | |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Not very hands on. I learn better when I get to practice hands on. Mostly it was straight from the book only did skills work a couple of times. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Great flexibility! They have classes online and on campus between 8 AM and 9 PM. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | It is extremely easy to find out information when you're struggling. Professors are always eager to answer questions, multiple study groups are at your advantage, along with labs and great library. |
| Social Life | 8 | I didn't participate as much as I could have. There was lots of School spirit and social events, however I had personal commitments to attend. |
| Placement Services | 1 | There was no help in job placement at all. You're on your own looking for a good job, which took me several months. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | Challenging at times, but if you stay on track with studying it stays pretty easy. Challenged me enough, but not to much to where I wanted to quit. |
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