*FUTURE STUDENTS BEWARE, PREDATORY SCHOOL*
Sharing the information I wish I had before choosing ACMT.
Students & Clients please read.
The faculty chose to terminate me, one month before finals, after I had emergency surgery. I communicated this to three different faculty members prior to, and provided a formal letter from the surgeon, but was still terminated as a student for missing class, because of a major surgical procedure. They sent an email to my school email that stated I had until January 31st to make up time, then locked me out of my school email and terminated me on January 9th, and backdated it to November (see below, names blurred to meet privacy guidelines per google). After reaching out to the Director of Education for the program, with concerns of ableism, and unjust dismissal due to extenuating circumstances, I was met with a simple "I regret to inform you" email, that concluded they would do nothing. After sinking over $55k into attending ACMT, they still won't give me so much as my year one transcript.
ACMT preys on potential students. They advertise a clinic, a two year program, and student resources.
What they don't tell you is that the clinic hours are not divided equally among students, it's a rat race as to who can claim them the fastest. There is one clinic manager divided by 30+ students, and often times students are over booked or forced to work in makeshift rooms. The clinics charge a hefty $40 per treatment, and the students receive $0. While the assumption is that the money would be used for school supplies, and improving the clinics resources, this isn't the case. While ACMT profits roughly $100k a year in clinic income on just one class of students, they're clinic instructors are underpaid, students must pay for there own linens, lotions, scrubs, and additional equipment. Even the most basic requests from the instructors such as replacements for missing curtains, to add privacy and extra treatment space, are ignored.
*Getting a massage here doesn't help students learn, it just enables the school to exploit them for free labour. Instructors deserve a fair wage, and Students deserve more than one instructor for 30+ students. Where is the money going?*
They advertise a two year program, in every document, website heading, and correspondence. However they inform NSLSC and Alberta Student Aid that their program is one year in length, describing them as two separate programs. This affects, and limits student funding. When approached about the issue, the school refuses to address the concern, and simply says the description is "easier to digest" provided this way. This falls under false advertising as per the Government of Alberta Private Career Colleges, and in this case "the college must return any tuition paid", if the statement is misleading. After lodging a formal complaint in April of 2024, addressing it with the school, I have still not received a tuition refund. If you are a current student I urge you to lodge a complaint, and fight for your tuition return. Given you aren't actually attending a two year program, and this makes it appear as though you "are failing to advance" in the eyes of student loans, and you won't be able to start another program and receive funding after you've finished your studies at ACMT.
This is not education, it's a money grab. Students are frustrated, staff are underpaid and teaching is inconsistent. I urge you to consider a different program. I am now 55k in debt, unable to get transcripts, and unable to attend another program. This is the warning I wish I had while choosing a school, I would give anything to go back in time and make a different choice.
11 months ago