American Career College
Encyclopedia
American Career College is a privately held vocational college that specializes in health care training programs. American Career College offers both Diploma and Associate Degree programs through three campuses in the Los Angeles
metro area.
Programs at American Career College include:
Programs vary in length from ten to twenty months. Each program contains both didactic and hands-on training, including clinical/externships for most programs.
Graduates from the dental assisting, massage therapy, medical assistant, optical dispensing, pharmacy technician, vocational nursing, and health claims examiner/medical biller programs receive a diploma and are prepared for industry certification exams, where required.
Graduates of the health information technology, respiratory therapy, and surgical technology programs receive an Associate of Occupational Science degree and are prepared for industry certification exams, where required.
American Career College also offers General Educational Development (GED) test preparation courses and examinations at all three campuses.
American Career College is accredited by Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
.
The Pharmacy Technician training program is accredited by the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP).
The Vocational Nursing program is approved by the California Board of Vocational Nurse and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT).
The Associate of Occupational Science in Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology at the Los Angeles and Orange County campuses.
The Associate of Occupational Science in Respiratory Therapy program holds a Letter of Review from the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (COARC) at the Orange County and Ontario campuses.
The Dental Assisting program is approved by the Dental Board of California.
The Associate of Occupational Science in Health Information Technology program is in candidacy status with the Council on Certification of the American Health Information Management Association at the Orange County campus.
American Career College is also a member of the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS).
The school remained a little known entity running classes from its locations in downtown Los Angeles
at 4021 Rosewood Avenue and [Anaheim] at 1200 North Magnolia Avenue until the approval of the vocational nursing program in 1994.
In the fall of 2008, American Career College opened a new campus in Ontario
at 3130 East Sedona Court which held classes for both American Career College as well as West Coast University
. Approximately 500 ACC students were relocated from the temporary campus located in Norco
.
In August 2008, the Orange County Register published a story about the for-profit education sector which mentioned ACC in relation to a former student accused the school of withholding key information about her education from her in order to get her to start school. Her claims focused on the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program and her eligibility to sit for a licensing exam.
In April 2010, American Career College students and faculty donated over 3,700 man hours volunteering at the L.A. Remote Area Medical (RAM) event, providing free medical care to patients in need.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
metro area.
Programs at American Career College include:
- dental assistingDental assistantDental assistants assist the dental operator provide more efficient dental treatment, by preparing the patient for treatment, sterilizing instruments, passing instruments during the procedure, holding a suction device, exposing dental radiographs, taking impressions, and fabricating provisional...
- massage therapyMassageMassage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
- medical assistant
- optical dispensing
- pharmacy technicianPharmacy technicianA pharmacy technician, also sometimes known as a pharmaceutical technician, is a health care worker who performs pharmacy related functions, generally working under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist or other health professional...
- respiratory therapyRespiratory therapyRespiratory therapy is a healthcare profession in which specialists work with patients suffering from either acute or chronic respiratory problems. These specialists are termed Respiratory Therapists in most places internationally but may also be referred to as Respiratory Scientists or...
- surgical technicianSurgical technologistA surgical technologist, also called "scrub tech," "surgical technician," or "operating room technician", is an allied health professional working as a part of the team delivering surgical care in some countries. They possess knowledge and skills in sterile and aseptic techniques...
- vocational nursingLicensed Practical NurseLicensed practical nurse is the term used in much of the United States and most Canadian provinces to refer to a nurse who cares for "people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled under the direction of registered nurses and physicians. The term licensed vocational nurses is used in...
- health claims examiner/medical biller
- health information technologyHealth information technologyHealth information technology provides the umbrella framework to describe the comprehensive management of health information across computerized systems and its secure exchange between consumers, providers, government and quality entities, and insurers...
Programs vary in length from ten to twenty months. Each program contains both didactic and hands-on training, including clinical/externships for most programs.
Graduates from the dental assisting, massage therapy, medical assistant, optical dispensing, pharmacy technician, vocational nursing, and health claims examiner/medical biller programs receive a diploma and are prepared for industry certification exams, where required.
Graduates of the health information technology, respiratory therapy, and surgical technology programs receive an Associate of Occupational Science degree and are prepared for industry certification exams, where required.
American Career College also offers General Educational Development (GED) test preparation courses and examinations at all three campuses.
American Career College is accredited by Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools is a recognized higher education accreditation organization in the United States specializing in the institutional accreditation of private, postsecondary institutions that offer allied health education programs, and the programmatic accreditation...
.
Campuses
American Career College has three campuses in southern California. The 30000 square feet (2,787.1 m²) Los Angeles campus is located at 4021 Rosewood Ave. in Los Angeles, California. The Orange County campus is located at 1200 North Magnolia Ave. in Anaheim, California. This campus is 21000 square feet (1,951 m²). The Ontario campus is located at 3130 East Sedona Court in Ontario, California and is 64000 square feet (5,945.8 m²). All campuses include classrooms, computer labs, and laboratory spaces.Accreditation
All three American Career College campuses are accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).The Pharmacy Technician training program is accredited by the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP).
The Vocational Nursing program is approved by the California Board of Vocational Nurse and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT).
The Associate of Occupational Science in Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology at the Los Angeles and Orange County campuses.
The Associate of Occupational Science in Respiratory Therapy program holds a Letter of Review from the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (COARC) at the Orange County and Ontario campuses.
The Dental Assisting program is approved by the Dental Board of California.
The Associate of Occupational Science in Health Information Technology program is in candidacy status with the Council on Certification of the American Health Information Management Association at the Orange County campus.
American Career College is also a member of the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS).
History
American Career College was founded by David Pyle in 1979 under the name of American College of Optics. Originally the school focused only on optical dispensing. In May 1997, Mr. Pyle purchased West Coast University, which was founded in 1909, out of bankruptcy and planned to develop a program for the training of registered nurses.The school remained a little known entity running classes from its locations in downtown Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at 4021 Rosewood Avenue and [Anaheim] at 1200 North Magnolia Avenue until the approval of the vocational nursing program in 1994.
In the fall of 2008, American Career College opened a new campus in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
at 3130 East Sedona Court which held classes for both American Career College as well as West Coast University
West Coast University
West Coast University is a for-profit, healthcare oriented university located in southern California and Dallas, Texas. WCU was founded in 1909 as an ophthalmology school . It has campuses in North Hollywood, Anaheim and Ontario, California...
. Approximately 500 ACC students were relocated from the temporary campus located in Norco
Norco, California
Norco is a city in Riverside County, California, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,063, up from 24,157 at the 2000 census...
.
Publicity
In December 2005 American Career College appeared on the ABC show Extreme Makeover Home Edition. CEO David Pyle donated three full scholarships for nursing education to three young women working at the Saban Free Clinic.In August 2008, the Orange County Register published a story about the for-profit education sector which mentioned ACC in relation to a former student accused the school of withholding key information about her education from her in order to get her to start school. Her claims focused on the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program and her eligibility to sit for a licensing exam.
In April 2010, American Career College students and faculty donated over 3,700 man hours volunteering at the L.A. Remote Area Medical (RAM) event, providing free medical care to patients in need.