Rasmussen college-Rasmussen College online Failing the Students; Deceptive Practices, Set Up for Failure, Fraud, Scam, "Caveat Emptor" Maitland, Online, Bloomington Florida, Minnesota
CAVEAT EMPTOR! I wanted to send this follow-up so that you will know I have already taken the appropriate steps, and I did phone Deb Murray, Vice President of Financial aid at Rasmussen College.
It is not doubt that I am in a terrible posture not solely financial but mentally more important. I feel as though concrete enough circumstances that have led me to pursue the path to legal recourse in this matter, for which some of you already have become aware, and today is 07/17/2013.
Additionally, I intend to follow through with the RHIT exam administered by AHIMA, pass it after retesting. After which, I will hope to use the RHIT credential to land a job.
I am experiencing extreme duress, anguish, lost time and wages, mortification, deception, humiliation, all the terminology for which I am prey, and equally these mind-sets stem from this particular College establishment. I scream out to beware and to the college, “Shame on them for doing this to a true believer.”
“Caveat Emptor” is not germane enough, yet one must take heed because things are not what they seem upon entering the threshold of Rasmussen College online, which certainly holds true in the case of this CAHIM accredited establishment and it s counterpart AHIMA.
Rasmussen used me an s a vehicle and took advantage of my vulnerability from the year 2009 until I graduated in 2013 with an AAS in Medical transcription and an AAS in HIT.
First off they failed me in 2009 using me to Scam FEDERAL Financial aid funds which they would receive via students, then claim it will be well deserved for a program, medical transcription that I aspire to first and foremost, which no longer exists, and is now obsolete as of 2010. Furthermore, Rasmussen college fails to inform me that this was never a stepping platform to anything BS relevant, thus in the end, I am forced me to re-enter the doorsill of the online program, this time instead to pursue AAS in HIT then BS for HIM which at the end I will then sit for a State credential exam. This is based upon completing the very difficult program first which I did using the books and whatever else outdated virtual labs, horrific instructors that deliver help via emails which if you can imagine my dismay, contain typos and misspells, sentences such as “Does this make sense?” Alternatively, other 10 word sentences for example, “I hope this helps” … and so on yet I managed to keep with it.
I then complete this HIT program Final Exam with a 99 percentile and continue to prepare via the Delmar-Cengage 2012 PRG, to then sit for the RHIT credential exam which was supposedly, paid for by the college. I should then move into the HIMBS where I would sit for an RHIA exam. Here is where it gets incredibly pathetic … Lo and behold, though in the midst of the HIT program having spent financial aid of over $49,000 half of which went to the bogus transcription degree, I come to find (I learned this) the cap on financial aid as an undergraduate $53,000 will not allow for me to move into the HIMBS since having used $29,000 already paid to Rasmussen college for my AAS in MT that is of no merit finding a job in this lifetime, thanks to the invention and inception of, survey says: SPEECH RECOGNITON SOFTWARE.
What they did do was to keep using me as a vehicle to pay the useless instructors, provide outdated materials, some material and software programs from 2007-12, in addition to pull the worst unethical practice by providing a STATE exam (mind you my cumulative GPA after 180 credits is 3.84) administered by an Association (AHIMA) that fails to AND I QUOTE; "recognize the Delmar-Cengage 2012 RHIT/RHIA Professional Review Guide (PRG) as study material for preparing to test for the RHIT/RHIA Credential exam." AHIMA wants you to buy their own publication; they fail you if you do not! So in essence, I failed the State exam. AHIMA provides an exact RHIT Preparation, fourth edition RHIT Exam Preparation book, which you have to buy. $49,000 and Rasmussen did not assure me to pass the state credential exam over a lousy 60-dollar book, which they could have provided the students assuring them to pass the AHIMA state RHIT credentialing Exam. This is a CAHIM accredited college.
However, Rasmussen insists their PRG is adequate. They claim that the statistics show students pass the exam using this book. The book is published by AHIMA and the Exam is administered by AHIMA. Yet, I fail the exam based on the material, which I used in the PRG that only clearly helps me to pass the COURSE! I then purchase the AHIMA exam prep and it is completely different in terms of the material contained within, which is solely based on what AHIMA believes as a foundation for “real-world acute care medical office, HIT, HIM case scenarios.
This is the worst low-down, dirty rotten scoundrel, shame on you scandal that the two counterparts could stoop and pull not only over my eyes but also over the eyes of the federal government that paid them financial AID. The swindled me, leading me to believe that this Rasmussen HIT course would prepare me and provide me the materials to pass a STATE Credential EXAM. It did not. Now I am in $50, 000 in debt have not money to retake the $229 exam. I cannot find a company nor HIT job that will hire me without the RHIT credential on my Resume. I have my resume in eight different job banks and the AHIMA job bank and I cannot get a job. This is because I have spent $50,000 on two AAS programs. Thus, I did inot complete the HIMBS and that is what stopping me from moving froward. Also, an intentional, deliberate, manipulative, fraud was committed in selling me Transcription degree in the first place. Do not believe the hype! Do not go to this hokey-pokey school.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Deborah
St Pete,Florida,
Kudos for you
#4Author of original report
Fri, August 09, 2013
Great to hear that you passed your exam. Good Luck with your future.
Thank you for your feedback however; it does not change the real facts. I have researched the alot of reports of "piggy-backing", reporting aboutt scams and grey areas, and countless other online programs failing its students. Many reporting agencies that report are reports of not so positive outcomes. It is a shame, perparing, being psyched to win, or pass, and ultimatley failing.
This consumer agency serves as protection, to enlighten others, that some do all the same things that you shared you did in terms of studying, and so forth, that do fail. Nevertheless, after the program, I was feeling confident, after doing so well with the PRG guide, WHY did I fail. That is where it starts for me.
An association that uses an RHIT Exam Preparation and countless other publications (each published by AHIMA), not a PRG as material for its Credential Exam. The review guide is better suited for the curriculum program in of itself but not for someone taking the exam needing Exam Preparation, a true stepping-stone, know the exam, and pass it with comprehension. That is where the system fails the student. Especially students not otherwise involved in a healthcare facility, or participating in a clinical environment, which may already know through hands on and already, have that edge for a number of years. I bought the RHIT Exam Preparation, which is completely directive of the Credential Exam and the only way to comprehend this, is to see the two (PRG, RHIT Exam Prep) side by side, and compare the practice material, and References.
The RHIT Exam Preparation sold online by the very association that administers the RHIT exam is critical, with real world case scenarios, for Data Analysis and Management, Coding, Compliance, Information Technology, Quality, Legal, and Revenue Cycle. These seven domains are and specific to CCHIM and AHIMA’s accreditation for the RHIT certification program granted by NCCA.
This is a huge grey area for many colleges, the faculty, especially students, and is necessary for some of those students, ensuring they pass on first try! Also to pass the exam with comprehension. It prepares one in the today’s fields for Health Information Management Technology, as an applied approach.
Congratulations, since recently having passed.
Thank you so much for your feedback.
AMcCurdy
Florida,Rasmussen
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, August 08, 2013
Hello Deborah,
Sorry to hear about your situation. I believe we have had some classes together at Rasmussen college online. I have to respectfully disagree with some of your statement. I just took my RHIT exam on Tuesday and passed on my first attempt. I spent two weeks prior to the exam studying the PRG 2012 edition, made flashcards on terms or abbreviations I was unsure of, and reviewed some of my books and notes from class. I DID NOT use any other books, materials or prep courses besides the ones I was provided by Rasmussen. I carried a 3.83 throughout my schooling and finished with a 3.8. I feel the PRG prepared me for the exam as well as Rasmussen with all of my classes. I have been working in the field since March as an HIM clerk and will be up for a promotion when I show my employer proof of my RHIT certification. Rasmussen did everything on their end to prepare me for a career in the HIT field. The only thing I feel that was done wrong was that some of the questions on the RHIT, I was never taught such as case mix calculations. However I do not fault the school because they can only teach so much in the alotted time.
I have enjoyed Rasmussen college so much that I am currently pursuing my Accelerated Bachelor's in HR and Organizational Leadership. From day one, my program manager and student advisor helped keep me motivated and tended to my concerns or needs immediately. My program manager never tried to sell me on my HIT degree or any degree for that matter. She listened to what I wanted from a school and a health sciences program. I had also already researched on my own time what an HIT degree entailed and what it would do for me in the future. No one can sell you something if you had already done your research.
I can understand your frustration with pursuing a degree in medical transcription and it eventually becoming a career field that is slowly phased out due to newer technology however did you look into the school of business Bachelor's of Healthcare Management which allows a student to transfer in an Associate's in Medical Administration and Medical Assisting? I don't know exactly what your degree name was for your medical transcription degree. You would basically have a Bachelor's that would help you become an HIM services Manager.
I researched my chosen career field before moving ahead with it. It took me almost 3 weeks to choose a college and degree program that suited me. I didn't jump into a decision. My husband and I even looked into all of the financial aid paperwork and how the loans and grants work before moving forward with our Bachelor's and we realized how much we had left in funds. I had previously went to Remington College for Massage Therapy so I had used up some of it there (which is a whole different story on that College, it's a bad one so steer clear of it..lol.). But currently I have enough to finish of my Bachelor's and will be left with approximately a little under 10,000 so if I wanted to pursue a Master's I would be paying some out of pocket.
I am glad to hear that Rasmussen is going to pay for you to retake the RHIT and I wish you the best and good luck on it this time around. If you wish to chat more about this issue or need any help studying for the exam, just let me know.
Have a good day =)
dpaler
Saint Petersburg,Florida,
Follow-up for report
#4Author of original report
Tue, July 23, 2013
To All this matter concerns:
After a very long, lengthy process, along with a deliberate pursuit by letter writing and complaints to CAHIM, I was able to speak with the Vice President of Student Affairs, Tawny Cortez. When Ms. Cortez phoned followed by Rasmussen’s Health Sciences Dean, Christian Wright, all parties in agreement, both informed me to provide a refund allowance, awarded to retake the RHIT Exam.
I feel this is a great step, and a start for Rasmussen College to recognize there may be a situation, which warrants investigating. The matter though resolved is going to be investigated, equally. Not solely Rasmussen College but their Instructors, the curriculum material, and a CAHIM accredited college owning up to certain flaws needing a full review.
Investigating the facts leading up to an A-student, consecutive Dean's List, four years in a row, having failed a credential exam, is unacceptable.
We want to know, why? Due to exam preparation material, which if provided by to the College, by AHIMA, that administers the very exam as well, perhaps, would have broaden a student's chances of passing the RHIT Credential Exam on the first attempt. Do not be fooled, and follow-up on your pursuit, and persistence will pay off in the end, whatever that is.
This is proof positive and should you need help and I can be there call or email me below. I will get it done.
Sincerely,
Deborah Paler
deborapaler@hotmail.com
727-748-9024