ECPI University Newport News

This review is for the Medical Careers Institute School side not ECPI. If I can give MCI a «zero» star, I would. Let me begin by saying that this is one of those institutions that will rip you off. They charge twice the amount for tuition than a community college. When I first attended in 2005 I didn’t know any better. I took the Medical Assisting program and graduated in 2006 with a A.A.S. Never thought about a school being accredited. Well at the time, they were not. Skip to 2014… Come to find out when I decided to go back to school that every class I had taken at MCI could not count because they were not «accredited». So I had to take all those classes over at TNCC. I was curious if they are accredited now and was told that ECPI took over MCI so they are now accredited. Ok so I decided to check out their Rad Tech program because I’m interested in that field and to see how they compare to TCC and Riverside School of Health. Wow! Not only do they still rip you off, but the way they choose who gets into their program is ridiculous… First off, MCI’s Rad Tech program is $ 42,000. Riverside and TCC is about 50% cheaper. When you tell them you will be using VA benefits, OMG they begin to salivate. Guaranteed money for them. They want you to go to their school! Ok so I sit with financial aid and after she calculates everything with her magic calculator, she tells me that in the end I will be owing them $ 6,000.00 What??? I’m using my husbands benefits which suppose to cover a two year school. How is it that I’m also going to owe you money? Ms. Magical Financial Aid lady then explained that the way the terms begin and end, it would fall short how the VA makes payments. Huh? What? Excuse me? I have never heard of this. Maybe I’m wrong. But then again, everyone I have asked said they never heard of that either.
Secondly, they tell you what they are looking for in a Rad Tech student, which is understandable because it is a career that specializes in a specialty, but don’t say one thing and do another. One of their «big» deals is that you HAVE to do a shadowing somewhere at a Facility they do radiology. Well Ok do you have a list to these facilities where you can go in and say, «Hi, I want to be a Rad Tech when I grow up, can I follow you around so I can get „points“ to get picked in the Rad Tech program at MCI?» And to top it off, I was told I needed 100 hours so that it looked «good» Huh again? I was also told to not bother with Riverside because they don’t let people who are not from «Riverside» do any shadowing. Funny, I work for them and i found out that they do have a shadowing program and they do not turn anyone down. At this point I was just tired of all the lies. I have since found out from the other two schools that shadowing was not necessary and they do not give you brownie «points» for that. That it shouldn’t even be a part of the deciding process. Do the research on MCI before you decide to spend any money on their programs. Only you can decide if you want to take a chance on a school that many people in the area talk bad about. Ask lots of questions! If you are lucky, you may get some honest answers and not a dumb look like K.S. gave me.

Inside the school is a café, which is a hidden gem in Newport News. The talent and food that comes from this café shouldn’t be a gift only for Students. Wraps, salads, soups, and sub’s; great prices for unbelievable flavor. Manager is top of the line and continues education with culinary students. It’s great to know someone is learning and using skills taught to them, by the school while you enjoy a delightful treat!