Florida Career College, Miami Anthem Education Don't waste your money, non-accredited certification, curriculum doesn't real world, worst career services assistance, no internship as promised Miami Florida

I wish I had read reports like this one before I decided to choose this horrible place to educate myself and prepare to change career fields to provide my opportunities for my family. I chose Medical Billing and Coding Specialist as my new career.  As a business owner for 20 years I thought my administrative skills would transfer naturally to a new profession that I would enjoy. My business became seasonal after the economy collapsed and I didn't feel like it was enough to sustain us any longer.  I even read countless information online about how it was a job you could do from home.  I figured I could work my way up to that eventually.

I looked long and hard at much information online about schools offering the program, including the local college.  I chose Florida Career College because I had to attend at night, and it was a short drive from my home.  In November 2012 the recruiter who signed me up, told me he had worked in the medical field, knew what employers were looking for and that the program at the school would prepare me very well to get a good job that could eventually lead to more.  What he meant was an AA program, BA progam, etc. more money, more money, more money (for them) is apparently the theme.  He also told me that an internship was part of the program, after the 9 months of classwork was done.  They also were a certified "proctor" location for the state certification test which I would need for employment.

I was somewhat put off by the price of $20,000, but I spoke to my Mom who was terminally ill and she was worried, as I was, how my family and I were going to continue paying our bills so she gave me almost half of the money and I hit up my retirement annuity for the rest.  I started in November 2012.  At first the classes were great, I had the same two teachers for my first 5 months of class.  Then I went into the actual coding part and that's when the trouble began.  

The first day I walked into class the instructor was in discussion with another teacher about the lousy state of her marriage and the gift of a suit and some clothes she had given her husband for their anniversary so he would leave because she wanted a divorce. Instead of curtailing the conversation, she included me.  Every other night I took her class until I graduated was the same.  Who she was screwing on the side (one of the 2 Directors of Education they went through during my course at FCC), who he was screwing on the side, etc.  The childish games on social media she played to get back at her husband's lover, etc. She would prepare an extra large packet of work, give at lecture one or two classes at the start of a new subject and then we were on our own.  I continued to thrive, grade-wise anyway.  Little did I know the worst was still to come. 

The worst came when I found out that there was no internship for the Billing and Coding program, it was a lie. A lie that, in fact, EVERY RECRUITER is STILL telling interested students to get them to sign up.  I graduated in Aug. 2013, took my state certification test 2 weeks later (my Mom died the the week I graduated, I took her to chemo every week during all of this). Current and former students complained to the Corporate Office and demanded a meeting regarding the internship and other issues.  

They met with us and a month or so later an 200 hr internship came up.  I am there now but only to discover that in the real world there is no way to break into billing and coding without 2-5 years experience and schooling and certification is not a necessity only the experience is. Fist I discovered that the owner of the internship company went to the school,not vice versa, regarding student interns. He directly told me he is not in a position to hire me but likes the way I work and gave me a contact of a "head hunter" to help me get placement when my internship is done.  In meeting with that person I found out the above information about how the real world works.  Unfortunately he wants to charge me 80 hrs of my pay within 2 months for whatever job he gets me.  Obviously it's in his best interest to get me the best paying job possible.  

I graduated with almost a 4.0 average and got the 2nd highest score ever recorded on the certification test. None of it will help me at all.  The certification I received I have never even seen referred to in any job posting I have reviewed and by the FCC Medical Director's own admission is not even close to being widely recognized.

I feel like an idiot at 50 years old, that I made the decision to go back to school for this subject and even worse that I chose Florida Career College, don't let this happen to you!!  Save your money and learn from my mistakes.  I am now on a mission to expose them every chance possible and try to save others!  There is more I could say but what is highlighted is the main point.  They, and all schools like them are liars.  Tons of students out there have loans they are now paying, just like me, and they gained nothing for it.  Don't fall into the trap.  Do your research.  Make them show you a list of employers they work with, interview those employers about the real world before you make an investment.  Make sure you find out how the curriculum really matches up to the qualifications they want and how likely employment really is when you're done.