JEFFREY J. ANTONELLI, LTD.
312-201-8310 - Chicago
630-219-1189 - Suburbs
THE MEDICAL DECISIONS YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXPRESS
Here are suggestions for doing your homework prior to enrolling in any health care vocational training program:
- Call the hospital or clinic that the school claims you will be having your clinical experience at. Ask what they think of the school. Ask if the program of study you are thinking of enrolling in will make you qualified for the kind of job or career you really want to get.
- Call a few employers you would like to work for. Ask what they think of the school you are thinking of enrolling in, and if they hire graduates from the school. Finally, ask where their best employees went to school.
- Check with the US Dept of Education to see if it recognizes the accrediting body your potential school claims it is accredited by. IMPORTANT: Make sure that the accrediting body is appropriate for approving for the type of program you wish to enroll in.
- Call the accrediting body and ask to confirm that your potential school is in fact accredited by them. Ask if it specifically accredits your potential program of study.
- Determine if the coursework at your potential school will make you eligible to sit for Registry Examination, if this applies to your field of study.
A good sign for any allied health school is if it is accredited by CAAHEP.
In addition to the program itself being accredited by CAAHEP, a good sign for an ultrasound program is if the program is recognized by ARDMS (American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers) in that ARDMS allows that program's graduates to sit for their Registry Examination (not just the SPI exam - please double check on this).
For Echocardiography, a good sign is if the program is recognized by CCI (Cardiovascular Credentialing International) in order for graduates to sit for their Registry Examination.
Ask ARDMS/CCI if there have been any complaints about the school you are thinking of enrolling in.
If you are interested in a program besides ultrasound or echocardiography, call the State that grants licenses in your field (if applicable) or the organization that provides Registry Examination,. Ask if the school’s coursework will make you eligible for the license and/or Registry Examination.
Finally, if the program recruits or is located in Illinois, call the Illinois State Board of Education and ask them: \
A) Does this school have a current Certificate of Approval?
B) Have there been any complaints about the school?
C) Are there both a surety bond and a sales representative bond ("penal bond") for the school?
These bonds are important - they are supposed to help protect you from financial loss of your tuition dollars if the school shuts down during your education, or if the school misled you in any material way to get you to enroll. Ask for the dollar amount of the bond, the name of the insurance company issuing the bond, and the surety bond number. Call the insurance company that issued the surety bond to confirm what you were told is in fact accurate.
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