Continued Warnings About Bad Medical Assistant Schools and Diploma Mills

We have criticized, reported and warned about misleading advertisements and fake schools targeting potential medical assistant students seeking online courses on our website for years. Now, Donald Balasa of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) legal department is also raising awareness among prospective medical assistant students with a public note of caution.

Mr. Balasa points out that several AAMA members have informed him of misleading advertising fliers from St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants, a self-study online program. the following language is used in their advertising: "Medical Assistant Program Online. Medical Assistant Home Study Program. Nationally Accredited and Certified Program. 24/7 Convenient Online Classes. St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants now offers a Nationally Accredited and Certified Medical Assistant Program completely online. Yes, Complete This Program in as little as 6-8 weeks." You can read their article titled Misleading Advertisements on their Eye On The Law blog.

Similar warnings about such schools that may not deliver what you expect, including St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants have been on our own websites and medical assistant blogs since 2005. We also filed a rip off report against St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants on the Rip Off Report website for taking content from our Medical Assistant Net website without our permission and publishing it on their own site.
Mr. Balasa states that approximately three years ago the AAMA also reported St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and promises that they will continue to report medical assisting diploma mills to the appropriate governmental authorities.

St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants also has also received several negative ratings with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) from students who feel they were misled, or that they did not receive what they paid for. When it comes to vocational training, especially online, awareness is the key to successes! If an online post-secondary training program, non-traditional university, or so-called virtual college attended is not legit students may be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Worthless Medical Assistant Certificates and Diplomas

"Is there Really Such a Thing as a Worthless Medical Assistant Certificate, or Diploma?" 

Many might not know that marketing fake and worthless diplomas, certificates and degrees is a billion dollar industry - at least 800 million a year in the U.S. alone. So big is this market that various state offices, consumer protection agencies and educational websites warn people to use caution when it comes to new schools and distance education programs. 

Understand the definition of certified medical assistant and the medical assistant certification process and advantages, know how to locate qualified training to earn medical assistant credentials, and the difference and benefits of various programs offered, otherwise you might wind up with a piece of paper that is not worth your money and time. Realize that fake schools and diploma mills do exist and therefore, do your research.

TSS, a medical assistant school graduate, shared with us:

I'm a real go getter and everyone in my class was really hurt when we found out we were not getting certified... I feel like our school might be "black balled" and it's hurting the good students. We did hear some companies say they would not use our school's grads any longer because of the way they performed, appearance, lack of knowledge and that was with all the programs, not just the medical ones.  ~  by TSS, MA Student

According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) each year hundreds become victims of unrecognized programs and online scams offering certificates and diplomas that are not fulfilling their promise. Any aspiring medical assistant must be well informed and research different forms of formal and non-formal on-the-job medical assistant training programs and then decide for themselves which one will lead to the desired work experience, credentials and degrees they seek.