Correct me if I'm wrong, but a For-Profit educational institution would be a those colleges that aren't a community/Tech college, and not a University/4-year college, right? They're the ones who run commercials like crazy during the day about how a degree in dry-cleaning technology is at the cutting edge of the industry, right?
I'm asking this- because I've seen some really peculiar commercials. I'm not one to jump on the "lets lynch CMA's" bandwagon, because I worked with some really great CMA's once upon a time. However, I have also worked with, or encountered these other institutions I'm seeing the commercials for, and how full of themselves they are, and generally how misleading they are about the degrees they pedal.
The trigger for this post: a young lady who starts by explaining how she loved to take care of her family when they were sick- the commercial cuts to her wearing surgical scrubs and a stethoscope, standing in what appears to be an ER. She goes on to talk about how it seems logical that the best step in her career would be to get her degree as a Certified Medical Assistant. She then explains how this occupation is at the forefront of the medical field, and how she gets to provide patient care, and education (at which point we see her pointing to a telemetry machine or bedside monitor and "explaining" something to the actor/patient). Now, maybe I'm tired and cranky and making a mountain out of a molehill, but that scene looked just like a dang ER, and if I didn't know better I'd say they were suggesting that CMA's work in the ER now. After the commercial, they show a woman at a desk with a headset at a computer, looking sharp and busy. She then states "after seeing that commercial, I'm sure you have questions about your future career as a medical assistant".
I almost wanted to call the number. Just to ask how much they know about scope of practice. Now, I should explain, one time I was pursuing a career as a CMA (it was CMA vs LPN, I chose LPN). I ended up dialoguing with a recruiter for this school, she was SO PUSHY I couldn't believe it. She was nearly scolding me for considering becoming an LPN because "LPN's are being phased out, and only being used in the nursing home," and if I wanted to work in a clinic then "medical assisting is the up and coming, cutting edge of health care occupations." She then ranted off all the "cool things" CMA's do, from nebs, to injections, and by the time she got to the part about assisting MD's with procedures, she was almost hysterical. I chose LPN, and I actually did all of those things and more...IN A CLINIC none the less!
Back to the commercials. There is one commercial where they show a waiting room and a CMA comes out with a chart and calls the patient by her first and last name, and *OH!* it turns out that the patient is an old friend of the CMA (and please, remember this is not an attack on CMA's it's on the institutions who pedal the degree) and she then engages her friend in a discussion about her condition, and opens the patient's chart. OOPSIES! The last part of the commercial involves the CMA telling her patient friend how cool her job is- and the best part? "I get to wear totally cute scrubs!"
WHOO! I know all the CMA's I worked with only went to school for the scrubs! And at the conclusion, we see our friend at her desk with her headset, just waiting for us to call...
I could go on, some of the commercials REALLY make it dramatic- they go black and white inde-film style, with muffled narration and really choppy cinematography. Ooooooooo- no messing around with cute scrubs there!
See now these places are pedaling the BSN, and MAN you should hear them toot their horn. Problem is, the last I heard, these places were not ACCREDITED! And the students were left to find their own clinical sites. All to the tune of a private, 4 year college!
