The Bryman School High Tech Institute ripped me off, lied to me, gave me false hopes and promises, promised me a career and wasted my time and money! Phoenix Arizona

September 9th, 2008

I graduated from The Bryman School of Tempe Arizona in August 2007 where I completed my Associates of Health Sciences where I was promised a promising and long term career in the Medical Field. Due to financial reasons I had to wait at least 3 months before I was able to pursue my career in the Medical Field. While enrolling into the school I was given false information by the enrollment advisor and she was telling me what I wanted to hear to get me to enroll. My mother was in when I was enrolling and I had told her that I would like to complete the Associates of Health Sciences, and after that I would like to complete a Bachelors Degree in Nursing. We specifically asked if that was something that could be done w/ the credits earned at The Bryman School, and we asked if the credits will transfer to another school. She told me yes and that is what most students at the school do after completing their training and the credits do transfer to any school in the country. We had advised her that I have some medical issues Tourette Syndrome, and ADHD and we were informed that there are programs to get free or help on tuition in that aspect. She informed us that they have several programs to get State/Government assistance on tuition for medical conditions and that would not be a problem. She also informed that you are not required to pay back any of your tuition until 6 months after you graduated. I told her I was unable to pay on tuition until I completed school and started my career. She then informed me that there is a 6-7 week Externship which is unpaid and part of your final training to graduate. I advised of my current financial and debt situation and advised her I would not be able to not have an income for 6-7 weeks. I specifically asked if they offered evening/nights and weekends externships so I could keep my job to have an income still coming in and she said yes they do offer night/evening/weekend externships and understands about not being able to not have an income for that amount of time so they would be more then willing to work w/ students in that matter.
While enrolling and completing final paper work the financial aid advisor said I wasn't able to receive any tuition for my medical conditions. That was understandable and I accepted that. Three months after being enrolled into the school I was required to pay on my student loan 160 dollars which I did not have. I questioned financial aid and the loan provider why I was required to pay when I was informed I didn't until 6 months after I graduated and I was told because it was a Parent Plus Loan, the Loan provider Sallie Mae required I had to start paying on it. I had to get the loan payment lowered to 132 but wasn't able to afford it and had to get my mothers help to pay on it.

Several months after being enrolled into the school, numerous students and I found out the credits do not transfer and none of the schools accept Bryman School credits since it is a private technical school. We found out we would have to start completely over on our Associates Degree in order to pursue nursing. A group of students and I got together and filed a complaint and questioned the campus president why we were given false information to enroll and they said they had let go the enrollment advisor for giving false information to students. He then told us there was nothing that could be done and we couldn't be credited back our tuition since we were more then 10% into our program. One student was offered a deal to transfer to their sister college and to pursue a business degree but the rest of us are pursuing a career in the medical field so there was nothing that could be done for the rest of us.

Once I was 3 months from graduating I wanted to get my Externship setup. I met w/ the Externship Advisor and she offered me extern sites for days only. I told her I need the nights and weekends extern sites and she informed me that was not an option. I again advised that I had already gone over this when enrolling that I have to have nights and weekends and could not be out of a job for 6-7 weeks and something needs to be done because there was more bad information given to me upon enrollment. She told me I could go and find a facility that is open nights and weekends and see if they would be willing to work w/ me. I asked why I was required to go do her job and she informed me since I needed special accomidations it was up to me to go and search for the right facility. I spent my own personal spare time searching for a facility that would be willing to work w/ me and let me work nights and weekends. I found an Urgent Care that was more then willing to work w/ me and completed my externship and graduated from The Bryman School.
Due to my financial situation at the time, I had to wait for at least 2-3 months before I could start fully pursuing the Medical Field. When I was ready, I was working w/ the grad placement advisor and told him I needed to stay in the east valley and needed to stay in reasonable distance from my house, and could not exceed 10 miles. I informed him that if it was a little over 10 miles I would be willing to hear about it and get more information on it. He called me weekly and informed me he had sent out my resume to tons of locations, but I was not getting any call backs. After 4 weeks I started hearing back from a few locations. One location was in Peoria which was 36 miles from my house and another location was in North Scottsdale which was 24 miles away from my house. I called and asked him why I was getting calls from locations as far as they were and he said that I needed to be more flexiable. I told him I understand that I may not find a job 2 miles from my house, but 20 miles or more there was no option for flexibility. He said he would keep sending it out. I did go on 4 interviews and was given 3 offers, but they were not the right opportunity for me. One was only offering me part time hours which I can not work part time and have to work full time. The second was offering a ridiculous wage of 9.00 dollars an hour which I was no way able to go from 12.50, to 9.00 an hour and there was no negotiating salary. The 3rd offer was a Medical Weight Loss Clinic but I couldn't accept that offer since those types of clinics come and go. I could not risk being out of a job if it were to shut down. In my final class called Career Development we were required to create a resume and turn it in. I had turned in my resume and the teacher informed us that will be the resume sent out by grad placement advisor. One of the interviewers handed me a copy of my resume since the one I personally gave her was different and she had some questions on it. The copy she was sent by the Bryman School was not the resume I turned it, and it didn't have any of my career history on it. It only had my Bryman School information and was filled w/ spelling and punctuation errors. I was so embarrassed and apologized for that not being my resume I had turned in. I immediately called my grad placement advisor and questioned where this resume came from and where was the one I was required to complete and turn in. He said it was given to him by the teacher and was the one I turned in. I told him it was not and that is probably the reason I have not been hearing back from anyone. I then sent him a correct copy of my resume and he said he would be sending it out. I received 2 call backs located in North Phoenix and Avondale which were 26 and 30 miles from my house. This was going on month 6 that I had not been able to get a job as a Medical Assistant and I was fed up. I told him not to bother assisting me since he wasn't doing it anyways and I would pursue my career on my own. I then faxed my resume to 20 medical facilities and received 3 call backs and went in and interviewed but was told that they required somebody w/ more experience or they weren't hiring at the time. I was so disappointed and decided to not pursue medical assisting and stay at my current call center job. Over the past year since I've been out of school I've had 5 offers for different customer service positions and accepted one of the 5. That leads me to believe it's not my me or my interviewing skills and something funny is going on here.

It is has now been a year since I graduated and I am letting a Degree go to waste because I am unable to find a job as a medical assistant. I called the Bryman School at the beginning of August to help me find a job again. I explained everything that had gone on and they apologized for the previous grad placement advisor and informed me he was let go because of issues w/ him and similar reasons. I gave the same information as before, and resent my current resume and was told they would be sending out my resume and get me into the medical field. A voicemail was left on my phone by Rachel asking if she could send my resume out to a clinic which was 18 miles from my house. I called back and left a voicemail saying that was too far and I prefer to stay w/in 10-15 miles but would like to find out more information on the position and facility. I never heard back from her and called back and left another voicemail on Friday 09/5/2008 and still have not heard back from her.

My point of this letter is to get some type of assistance in getting a full refund for my tuition. I have tried to work w/ the school and have given several opportunities to do right and help me out but that has not happened. The Bryman School has promised me a career and I am not receiving the career I was promised and can not get a position in the medical field. Everyone wants experience, but I can't get experience if nobody will give me the experience. I have been flexible and willing to work w/ the school but have to stay w/in reasonable distance and livable pay. I am still currently working a customer service call center position and am paying on a loan for a piece of paper that means nothing and was nothing but false hopes. The Bryman School of Tempe shut down shortly after I graduated since they were not getting enough students to enroll, and it was known by many people not to attend this school for all of these types of reasons. I am unable to go to my school for any further assistance or refresher courses that they offer. The only location left is in Peoria which is 35 miles away from my house, and that's not possible or affordable w/ the distance and current gas prices. Please help in assisting me so that other people don't have to go through this like I have to. I can no longer afford to throw my money away to a school that doesn't care about their students and is not willing to help their students. This school should not be able to get away w/ this, and something needs to be done.

September 10th 2008
Update: I contacted and left voicemail to director of grad placement on Tuesday September 9th to let him know I still have not had any assistance or call backs from grad placement advisor Rachel. I also advised him I'm done trying to get assistance from this school and need to take it a step further and pursue getting my tuition back since this school has not helped me in achieving my career, and hasn't helped me in finding a job in the medical field. He called me back and left voicemail saying he will be fwd this up to the campus president and I should be hearing back from him the next day and to call him if I haven't heard from him by the next day at 1pm. I will give the president 2 days to call me back and if I haven't heard back I will contact the president myself and go ahead and proceed in further action.
September 10th: I received a voicemail from Rachel saying that she hasn't heard back from me on the last time she called me a few weeks ago on distance and position that was 18 miles from my house. I am absolutely furious since I have left 2 voicemails from her, and it's absolutely interesting to me that I contact the director again yesterday and now I suddenly get a call back from Rachel. She is stating that she never heard back from me when I did in fact leave 2 voicemails for her, unless there is a different Rachel that works in grad placement that I have been leaving voicemails for?

Nikki
Tempe, Arizona
U.S.A.