I saw an ad in my local newspaper about a seminar for a Health Document Specialist program. I attended the seminar and was immediatly interested because I could work from home and make a great income. I was led to believe that I could go directly to work once I completed the training and recieved my certification.
After completing 2 of the 5 training courses, I ordered my third course still excited about my future. That is, until I read Chapter 1 of the third course. This chapter informs you about testing and certification through the various medical associations. I was confused to say the least. I thought this course was supposed to give me everything I needed!
After reading the chapter I learned that you had to have at least 2 years of training before you can even test for certification. I sent a message to my instructor asking about this. She answered that this course gives you a certificate of completion and counts as 1 year of experience. She then stated that I would have to volunteer or shadow at a hospital or urgent care center to get the other year of experience required for testing.
I was extremely upset. I am a single woman that was looking for immediate employment after I completed this course. I was completing the course in record time. I explained to them that this was not acceptable. I live in a very small community with no urgent care centers and 1 hospital and would not be able to get the required additional year.
They offered no solutions to my problem and just kept telling me that I needed to complete the course. I continued to tell them that I felt mislead by the program. I told them that if they were not trying to mislead me, why did they put this chapter in lesson 3 after I owed them $1000. I said if they were not trying to hide anything why wasn't this information in chapter 1 of the course so that I would know exactly what I would have to do in addtion to this course.
I suspect that many students don't realize this until they are in debt to the company. I would not have continued the program if this information had been in chapter 1. I am not able to volunteer/shadow someone. I certainly cannot afford to work for free. I also have issues working with people in office situations, another reason for taking this coure: the abilty to work from home.
I have stopped the course but owe them $800. Money I don't have and certainly not for a program that I felt was a scam. I noticed an ad in my newspaper offering the course again. But the ad had an asterisk at the bottom. Next to it said WITH experience, This information was not in the ad when I signed up. Nor was it mentioned in the seminar.
I sure hope that other people who come across this program don't end up in my situation. Out of money and still no work from home job and no income.