American College of Medical Technology
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| American College of Medical Technology | |
 |
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| Established | 1974 |
| School type | College |
| Founder | Donald Harrison |
| President | Daniel Dorim Kim |
| Location | Gardena, California, USA |
| Homepage | www.acmt.ac |
The American College of Medical Technology is located in Gardena, California. It is a for-profit non-degree-granting occupational institution preparing mainly ethnic minority students for technical employment in the health care industry. As of 2005 there were 435 students enrolled.
The college was founded in 1974 as the American School of X-Ray by Donald Harrison. In July 1996, Daniel Dorim Kim purchased the school and changed the name to the American College of Medical Technology (ACMT).
[edit] Instruction and accreditation
ACMT offers courses four days per week, both in the daytime and the evening. They offer courses in MRI, X-Ray, Medical Laboratory Assisting, Medical Clinic Assisting, and Medical Office Management. The college obtained accreditation through the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, [1] (but, as of March 2006, on probation [2] ) and California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. According the terms of its accreditation it is nondegree-granting institution.
[edit] Controversy
On March 1, 2005, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce held hearings on "Enforcement of Federal Anti-Fraud Laws in For-Profit Education". During these hearings, Representative Maxine Waters cited ACMT as a "problem school in my district". She stated that students of the school "have not been given any hands on experience with the appropriate machinery for their field", "were given textbooks that covered different material than that for the course of instruction in which they enrolled", and "had instructors that were unable to answer the simplest of questions related to the material". She noted that at least two lawsuits had been filed by disgruntled students, and capped her statement with the opinion that the school's MRI program "does not meet the minimum completion/placement rules under California law". [3]
Kim uses the title "Dr" and the qualification "Ed. D." on the school's website and publicity, but fails to note that the doctorate is an honorary one from an unaccredited institution specialising in religious, not general or technical education.
The school claims that founder Donald Harrison was owner of American X-Ray Company. This should not be confused with the American X-Ray Corporation [4] whose founder and president is Leland Huffaker.On 10/06 more than one student complaint after finishing up the MRI program on not being able to find jobs due to the lack of information given to the student on the need of a more profound education to achive a certification by the AART to have a chance to find a job as an MRI Technician.
