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I'm a former student of Western Career College which is now Carrington College of California and I just want to say that I truly believe that they are running a scam and discriminating against certain students.
I went through the nine month Medical Assisting Program at the WCC Rancho Cordova campus. I came back on an appeal but I believe that I was wrongfully dropped the first time because their handbook states that if a student is failing they are to be given academic counseling. I never received any help or academic counseling and was dropped after only 2 months. I came back a year later on an appeal. I had made a total turn around I was a 4.0 student and had perfect attendance. I only missed one day in nine months! During my nine months at this school they changed instructors several times and each instructor told us that the other one was teaching us the wrong method. The instructors would even bad mouth other teachers to the students about their teaching skills. I really believe that I was discriminated against. I went through nine months and had a 4.0 the whole time and then the last month which I was supposed to be graduating in I was told that I was failing the course and would not be graduating. However before that I was also told that I would be given time to catch up on whatever I needed to catch up on or practice. I was told that I would be taken out of class by the teacher who was working with the graduates and would be given time then. However that never happened and the days that we were taken out of class to work on graduate things were only days that we were doing practical in class. So I would miss out on the practical time in class and was not given anytime during graduation stuff as promised. We weren't even taught about EKG's until midway through our course and only 3 EKG's were working most of the time sometimes only 2 for 28 students! We're paying all this money for school we should be given an adequate amount of working supplies for the students. After I was told that I was failing I went to my teacher multiple times for help and was basically ignored and told that I ask too many questions and was told another teacher would be helping which also never happened. It was my last course so I was expected to have everything completed however there were several things that I hadn't even been taught in my nine months there that weren't even on the calendar. I was told that it was ok because I would just get them demonstrated in the next course because I would be recycling. However I had been there nine months and it should have been taught before! My teacher basically just kept pushing off everything I was telling her. I asked her for weeks to come in and have a meeting with me and she would refuse and tell me she didn't know what was going on and not to go to the Director that she would take care of it. So finally the last day of the course which was the thursday before the 3 day weekend I asked her one last time what was going on and she told me " I'm recycling you, because they're making me. The director is not here today she will be back on Tuesday after the three day weekend and you can call her on Tuesday during normal business hours." She was very rude to me and I'm always very respectful to the instructors and I didn't deserve to be talked to that way and that is not the first time that has happened to me. ' However with her favorite students they were given all the help they wanted and were given the Graduation Final Study Guide early which I was told are not supposed to be given until your last month. So anyways I was confused about her telling me that I was recycling because when you come back to school on an appeal basis you are not allowed to recycle. That is the condition of the appeal which she was aware of. So I come back dressed for school in scrubs that tuesday very confused. So I go to the program director and I am told that I am being dropped from the program and that it was my teachers mistake for telling me otherwise. I am told that they have to think about themselves and their money from a professional standpoint and they can't have students that may ruin their reputation! So I was then told that they would look into the matter and would call me back in 24 hours and I was told to go home. I got a call the next morning however I'm having problems with my phone and I missed their call so then I tried calling them back multiple times throughout the day and could not get ahold of anyone who could help me and now here I am two days later and still no call back. I've continued to call but no response. So it is obvious that they do not care about their students. Now that I've been dropped I find out that they got 11 new students so I feel it is all about the money with them. I want to look into my options because I don't feel that I should have to pay all of the money back for something that I didn't get to complete. I understand about paying for the books and supplies but I don't feel that I should have to pay everything back. Now I am out sooo much money that I can' t even say and I have no money to go back to school. All I wanted to do was to better myself. I feel that they are truly running a scam and I'm wondering how this can even be legal?
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
SMG2010,
I'm David from Carrington College California. I would like to invite you to contact our dean of program compliance Debbie Oberlander at [protected] or e-mail at doberlander@carrington.edu. I'm sure she can help to answer your questions and concerns.
dmk
I just wanted to let you know that I am serving you and your western career
collage with a class action law suite, My wife Cindy went to your school
for six months and she worked very hard to get through your school and the last three weeks she came home everyday crying because of that Karen Shirley
I already have a great lawyer and I am going to go to the newspapers and
consumer affairs. I will show them all the complaints and I am going after miss Shirley, My wife Cindy over heard miss Shirley tell one of the teachers " we have to flunk someone" and I will not stop until we get Justis.
Thanks Frank
I have been through this program too. I am in the RVT program and unfortunately, 1/2 the class failed! We had been through 7 different teachers, one telling us one thing, then another telling us something else. The program director told us to study our tests for the midterm and we would be fine, well, needless to say, we all failed the midterm EVERYONE! by the end of the term, 1/2 the class (6) had to repeat the term over. Now, they say since we have already been through the term, they are going to make our test harder than the rest of the class. I see this as discrimination. The Dean at the Citrus Heights campus is good for nothing and will not even talk to RVT students anymore. The numerous complaints she has received and has done NOTHING to fix. DO NOT GO TO THIS SCHOOL! I think they try and fail as many to make repeat to gain extra money from financial aid!
RVTstudent - I saw you post and was wondering if there is something we can do to help. I work for Carrington College California and we would like the opportunity answer some of your questions. Debbie Oberlander is the Dean of Program Compliance and can be reached at [protected] or emailed at doberlander@carrington.edu and may be able to help. You may also contact me (Dylan Marsh) at dmarsh@carrington.edu with your concerns.
Thank you all for posting what you have regarding Carrington College, formerly Western Career College. My name is Ian T., and I graduated from Carrington College's MA program in Sacramento last year with honors. I am not working in the MA field. After attending the school and receiving my certification, I feel compelled to share with you that I am thoroughly mortified with my experiences and observations regarding Carrington College. I was oddly comported though, for lack of a more suitable term, by reading that a number of you, (We the students of Carrington), have had instructors cycling in and out of courses, all with rare exception having conflicting information and teaching "standards".
After graduating and rounding out my externship with two local medical offices, ( I left the first medical office 2 hours into my second day there, as it was quite clearly a pill/drug dispensary for drug addicts, {not the helpful and rehabilitative type}, and I wanted no connection whatsoever to that sort of facility), both providing substandard care in my opinion, I took it upon myself to do a little bit of research on the school, and what it is that Carrington College actually qualifies their students for professionally.
If you are reading this, you are surely well aware of the FACT that Carrington College does not provide their students with much at all, with the exceptions of hefty student-loan bills, and shattered promises of proper, thorough and professional training and certification. Simply stated, Carrington College is to a promising medically related career, as Radio-add casting calls are to entertainment careers. That being specifically, sensationalized smoke and mirror parlor tricks that distract many from what it is that is actually happening. There is no place for that in an educational setting.
I can tell you now, as a disabled Military Veteran who has proudly served in various medical capacities for years while enlisted overseas and in the U.S., how grossly inappropriate (and dare I suggest ILLEGAL) the practices are at this school.
If you are a person who is interested in a medically related job or career, I strongly urge you to acquire your training somewhere other than Carrington College of California, previously named Western Career College. Please spend ten minutes researching articles under those names, and you will surely find yourself breathing a bit easier having thereafter made the smart decision to look elsewhere for your medically related education.
Two questions. Just two.
(1) How is it that a medically related school that requires its students be properly immunized, (as they certainly should), often with threats of recycling courses or being dropped form the school if they are not immunized, requires no records of said immunizations?
(2) Who composes testing materials for Carrington College, and to what standards are those materials held?
Those were two very simple and completely reasonable questions. I have a lot more, as should anyone who realizes that being a part of the medical community is a huge honor, and is not to be taken casually.
Receiving proper and updated training is critical for your future patients health and welfare, and for your personal medical career. They deserve the best, as do you.
Please be wise, and be well~ Ian T~ [protected]
Thank you Ian T, I could not have said it better. As a former student at Carington College, Graduating in 2010, Everyone person that I have talked to still in my class, not one of them are working in medical assisting, and I was a Deans List Student and missed one day because I had the flu!. I almost wish there was a way to get my money back! I feel I was rushed out the door with out any care. Don't go here.
I attended Western Career College the last year before they changed to Carrington College. I feel very wronged by their administration for two reasons: 1. When applying to WCC my objective was to get into the radiography tech program. I was told by my counselor, who since the change has been promoted to a much higher title, that I had to first enter & complete the Medical Assisting program. This, I found out after entering the MA program was a total fallacy. I already came to the school with an associates degree in natural science and could have readily entered my desired program but took their word on the matter. 2. The same counselor as above told me that I would be able to get an associates degree in MA instead of a certificate because of my previous education when I inquired. I made it clear that I only would enter the school if I could get a degree. She assured me that I was signed up for that. After graduating (At the top of my class) I had to inquire 3x's about my diploma. My friends in the class never received anything either. It wasn't until many months after graduation that I was given a certificate of graduation...not my associates degree. After many months of constant inquiry I was told that I was never signed up for that by my counselor and that I would have to pay for more classes there to obtain it! Needless to say I felt WCC ran a scam on me, an honest student trying to better myself & to enter a profession to help others. The counselor acted like she had no idea who I was or what I was talking about. My cries fell on deaf ears. Now, I have a certificate to a field I didn't even want to get into in the first place and a mountain of debt. Also, on top of everything I have been applying to quality schools to get into my desired program of radiography and I come in with much education & high test scores yet, I feel I am being negatively associated with WCC bad name. I feel I was wronged and would like advice on how to make this right. This issue constantly pains me and has put strain on my life.
I would like to see if there are any people that attended Western Career College and would like to join a class action law suite.I graduated in 2006 the Medical Assistant program in Antioch, since then they have changed the name and besides my internship have not been able to get a job in this field. The school is not even honored by the Hospitals.Leaving the students in debts.Which is unfair to us. I will take all complaints and have them given to a lawyer that can help us get this discharged, forgiven etc.
Am I too late? I was bent over by these scammers as well! Veterinary technician program.
OMG I was too! I just read your comment and I also went to Western Career College in Antioch in 2006. I attended the Massage Therapy class. Not once did I receive a certificate and I owe so much money it's ridiculous. I am very interested in speaking to an Attorney regarding this scam. Please let me know if you see this. My email is jaspachas@yahoo.com
Hello, yes I want to join, how do I contact you?
Can you please resend your email?
any update on if you were able go get your loans forgiven? I was scammed as well, thank you.
I also attended western and while there they changed to Carrington, I also got a degree in medical information technology and upon graduation(2010) was sent to a home health place for externship to answer phones and copy stuff and scan time sheets for their employees. I did not mirror their biller at all, seems like free labor to me. I did not get job leads that were not on craigslist, sent out lots of resumes with no response. the school sees that you will get them federal monies so they do whatever it takes to get you in and then does not follow through with promises. I still owe monies and did not get anything but a useless piece of paper they call a degree. need a lawsuit filed now...
My husband tells me that there is a suit out there against the big umbrella company (western career, carrington, devry etc...) that they will pay off all loans but any credit you got from the school will disappear. well for me (and from what i can tell on here) nobody would mind that at all. now where a lot of you had problems during your time going to the school my problems started after graduation. i passed my class, 4.0 all the way, but i did have problems with my teacher saying one thing and then taking it back a couple days later. but after graduation when i would show them my resume so they could help me to fix it up so i could send it out to get jobs, one person wold tell me to do it a certain way. id go back after the changes were made and id talk a different person and they would have me make different changes. this happened everytime i went in to try and ask them to send my resume out so they could help me get a job (which was well over a dozen times). so if anyone has any information on this lawsuit please post it here. thanks
Please email me if you or anyone gets more info: jantv81@gmail.com
If you have anything information about the lawsuit, please share it, and if you do have an active lawsuit, I’d want to join as well.
I attended Silicon Valley College in Walnut Creek, CA from [protected] with an AAS in Network Systems Administration. How can I file a formal complaint/lawsuit? The campus on 2800 Mitchell Drive is closed, and from what I understand, they now call themselves Carrington College?
Chris L.
I attended silicon valley college as well.but working in field. I feel I been scammed. Is there a class action going on my info. Yo_hardin@ yahoo.com
I feel the same way. I attend Western Career College back in 2006 for Surgical Tech. I do feel the discrimination to some student including me. I went through 4 different professor teaching ST Curriculum, and they are not very encouraging, She even told me, I don't fit the curriculum and I'm just wasting money. but I tried every day, I showed up. I tried several times and she still did not pass me. I have another student who was barely in class, always late, sometimes she only attend half day. she always cheat during test. and she brought in her lawyer talk to the head admin of the school. she got her diploma and graduated after. and some of the student I know, it took them several months to get internship. I'm not rich to have my own attorney to bring that time so I too can graduate. I'm doing well as far working in the healthcare field. I manage with out t their help and support. but strongly agree that I'm victim and I shouldn't be paying any dime to this school.
Mark A B
if you have any latest info please include me magb1979ca@aol.com
hello my name is Samuel Reyes I was enrolled @ the surgical tech program 2009 and the head instructor (program director) was PAUL MICHEL and I did not finish because the program director PAUL MICHEL wanted me to repeat term 2 again and pay the school $10, 000 for the term again, I did not even fail any classes and he just wants me to repeat the term because I was not doing good at the lab class at the same time he was a bully instructor.and i decided to drop because I can not afford to pay $10, 000 and the program is already $36, 000, I was even travelling from Benicia to citrus height 's 3x aweek for 9 months and even sacrificed my job to attend the program I feel like I am lost here I need help.my email is srt1022@yahoo.com
please involve me with any information about a class action lawsuit i graduated 2008 top of my class 4.0 presidents list with no prevail i am now almost halfway through a nursing program at a state university, which is a huge accomplishment but the trouble is when i look at my student debt and I was scammed and WCC signed for money that I was never aware of i would never signed for subsidized debt and i was a faster care youth this school took complete advantage of me and my dreams I contacted the Corinthian scam hotline which told me if there is enough complaints against western career college, the school itself now carrington will be looked at and if there were any wrong doing done i will be held accountable i beg all of you to call this number and ask for information on where to submit the wrongful school documentation 1-800-4-FED-AID
How do I contact you?
I went to wcc in 2007 I was there for two months had to be rushed to the emergency room because I was having a miscarriage I ended up staying in the hospital for a week I informed the school about having to stay let them talk to the Dr the second day I was there they told me if I didn't come to school the next day they would drop me the Dr told them that I couldn't leave yet because I had got sick they dropped me anyways. I had over 10, 000 worth of student loans from them on my credit i still have over 4, 000 left i took them my hospital papers and they wouldn't let me back in school that school is a major scam and very unprofessional it was always a bunch of fights the teacher would never hardly be in the room I wouldn't recommend anyone to go there
I tried attending Carrington Colleges mb&c program. Big mistake! The instructor hardly taught at all, never addressing issues with papers or quizzes. At one point he told me “ I was using the wrong book when prior he was saying to use all three books for quizzes.” What? When I asked to withdraw they agreed only to find out they are now charging me $204. Only because they claimed I just quit and did not ask permission to withdraw. Plus they refuse to answer my questions or give any documentation relating to my withdraw. Can we join and file a class action?
I went to Silicon Valley College in Walnut Creek in 98-00 for Pharmacy Tech. I was in a class that the teacher got caught being a COMPLETE fraud. He claimed he had gone to Pharmacist school at UC Berkeley. Guess what? They Don't Have a pharmacist program, it took a student to bust him! After that the instructor we were given was not very competent, he was previously working at a Rite Aid I had worked at and had gotten fired. I was already in too far to withdraw they had told me so I finished the program. Now, 17 yrs later, I am Still paying this off! The school is closed so it's not even recognized anymore, I had to get my transcripts from a different school. I feel I was scammed, job placement was a JOKE. I feel after 17 years of paying I should be done with this, if anyone else has a suit or claim going to be reimbursed or have their loans dropped let me know here, please. Thank you.
@ Will Patteson II, I too attended SVC, however, in Fremont in 96'. I have had my taxes offset every year for this program and my loan was only for 1500 dollars. They forged the rest apparently. I received grants for the other money as I was a ward of the state/Foster kid that aged out of foster care. I was never placed in intern after repeatedly asking, they said they had to be on the waitlist and I would be the next to be placed, never happened. I have not worked one day in the field (MA) that I went to SVC for. I have a folder full of useless certificates, that are not worth the paper or ink they are written with. They are not accredited as they stated they would be. It was 34 credits all of which are non-transferable and mean absolutely nothing anywhere on the planet. That too was a lie that SVC told. They stated that they had accreditation and that it was through the Federal Gov. LIE! This 1500 dollar loan never seems to go down or go away. Now loan info states Western Career College. Never attended this school, however, this school has closed too and changed names. WCC is listed as a closed school as well as with the US Dept of Edu (Closed schools website).
I suggest everyone apply for the loan forgiveness/discharge program with US Dept of Edu if you feel you we defrauded in any way. I plan on doing this myself and also feel I should be reimbursed. They have taken well over 15K from me in tax offsets. I have no degree, I have no certs worth anything, I have no diploma that means anything anywhere. Come on man! To all that want to get a higher EDU. Attend a Community College. You will actually get the proper training and you will get a degree instead of a Cert. It's actually cheaper to attend community college in the long run. Don't waste your money or time going to these career colleges. Trust me you'll regret is 20 years down the road. These colleges prey on the low Economic status individuals with the promise of a good paying job etc. It is far from that in reality. You can get certified at many Community colleges as well if you want to get in and get out real quick.