19 Best Medical Assistant Programs In Columbia, SC (2022 Updated)

I went to midlands tech for many years. I struggled through the nursing program (and associates in arts and associated in science programs) for years as a single mother of a child with disabilities who was also exiting a decade long abusive relationship. I walked on a broken foot for four months through Clinicals in order to make it, had a foot surgery, totaled cars, and 20+ hours a week of therapies for my son with disabilities. And still I made it to my LPN semester only to end up in the hospital the last week before finals. I was told that I could not have a medical drop as I had received one for my foot surgery and was forced to take test 3,4, and the final in the week following my visit to the hospital. My grade dropped from a 90 to a 79.4 and I was told that I’d have to repeat everything all over again. The ombudsman and the VP went to Mrs. Bannister and begged her to allow an exception based off of the healthcare related nature of my situation and she refused. This place ruined my life and left me with no way to support my child and no nursing career after I already had a job waiting for me on the surgical trauma floor at Richland. After everything I lived through and survived. I am still traumatized. This place will ruin your life. DO NOT ATTEND THIS COLLEGE! Edit: In addition to my previous post this school is taking it a step further and denying me the right to participate in graduation after everything I have been through due to me being locked out of my MTC email (PS who only sends email info on a school email? nothing in the mail?) and was unable to receive the notification in time and they are now refusing my participation in graduation. I wish I could let anyone at that school know what they've done to me, my family, and my life. I HATE THIS SCHOOL and I've never hated anyone or anything!Danielle D Jacobs

I am in the Computer Technology program and am supposed to be completing my last semester, however we are at midterm and I am now finding out I have 1 more class to take . This is particularly infuriating because not only did my advisor tell me how many courses i needed to take to graduate, but Financial aid department told me that the aid for the semester was awarded based on how many credit hours i needed to graduate (I am taking the classes that I was told and showed I needed). Overall, in my 2 years as a student, my opinion has always been that's it is very much a subpar school-regarding the staff as well as education quality. My first semester (my education foundation) I had 2 that didn’t care and literally booted you out of the classroom before class was over as they had other things to do. The computer advisors are extremely ill prepared to help anyone. They continuously have no idea what each class will teach you, do not know which classes you should take for any career path, and are usually new personnel each semester. I, like many other students here, have a family outside of school and do not have the means to be a student and unemployed for another semester. Also, they don't have ANY tutors for the computer department! This makes things VERY difficult. The teachers do what they can in their office hours, and I can name 3 or 4 that are worth calling a teacher/professor and actually care about the subject and students. They claim to help you find a job after, and boast they have company’s asking them for their graduates… however this is not easily accessed, nor are there plentiful opportunities once graduated. The level of education and subjects taught seem not to be in line at all with what is desired by companies.srnclb

Horrible, Horrible, Horrible experiences! I have attended multiple semesters here and each one is more of a dumpster fire than the last. I have never had such difficulty with anything in my life or dealt with such rude, spiteful, or plan MEAN faculty members. I have been told countless times to quit my job and focus only on school, please tell me how being the sole provider for my family that would work? Followed by the staffs refusal to talk with me about options when I refuse to quit my job and have to look for odd times to attend classes. This school has been a GIGANTIC regret and I have only ever dealt with about two people that actually cared and WANTED to help like a decent educator would. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME, MONEY, ENERGY or LIFE here.Dani

I graduated from Southeastern Esthetics Institute in May of this year. I am so honored to have been through such an advanced program that really prepared me for the esthetics field. I received my license over the summer and now working the job of my dreams. I felt so comfortable when I started my new position because of the extensive classroom work and the hands on training I received in those 20 weeks. I just finished my laser and microneedling certification from SEEI in the advanced course and can’t wait to add those services to my menu. Thank you to Courtney Freeman, Tamara Palmer and Jessica Lundy Miller for all that you did to prepare me for my exciting and bright future in esthetics.Lauren Rachwal

I recently received certification in Advanced Esthetics from Southeastern Esthetics Institute. When I first walked into the school, I knew immediately this place was special. Having gotten my first Esthetics education years ago in a dilapidated Charleston strip mall, I was blown away with the chic and open atmosphere. Online booking and Spa-quality products added to the professional environment. Teachers were very helpful in making sure that even though I attended Part-Time with Home study, I learned everything the full-time students did, and got TONS of hands-on training. This school is hands-down the best in the area for Esthetics and Continuing Education classes!Mia Bingenheimer

As a previous student from Southeastern Esthetics, I can honestly say I received an excellent education through this Institute and would highly recommend it to anyone who is pursuing an education in aesthetics. Additionally, Southeastern offers wonderful classes for continuing education and I have had the pleasure of taking a course this past year ; excellent course on facial peels. The institute is clean, organized and based on my experience, very professional. I've had a professional facial peel given to me by one of her students this past year and the experience was pleasant and the student was very knowledgeable. I look forward to my next facial.Linda Schroeder

I've been going to Paul Mitchell for over 5 years and always had great service UNTIL 10.21.22. I went in for a "curly perm" and explained my hair is hard to curl. I came out with barely a wave, I WAS IN SHOCK, and did not make a fuss. I woke up the next morning with straight hair!!!!!! I got dressed and went to Paul Mitchell to talk to the floor teacher. She was supposed to get back to me yesterday about HOW TO MAKE IT RIGHT, I have not heard back. I have been so upset, I am on a fixed income so a perm is a big purchase for me. I'm just hoping they will contact me and MAKE THIS RIGHT. I WANT A CURLY PERM!!!!!Barbara Groves

My 1st experience was good. The establishment is very and clean. The students and instructors are very friendly. This is a large establishment. The prices are Very reasonable, I would highly recommend trying. Teachable school/ salon. I saw several of the instructors but Ms. Starks was wonderful as a stylish/ teacher. When I 1st called to make an appointment the young lady made me feel at ease because I was skeptical, she was very informative.R Thomas

Completely professional. Very clean. Everyone is super friendly! It's what a salon is supposed to be like. Micaella did a fantastic job! Pricing is very reasonable. The only thing I would change is you can't put a tip on debit/ charge card when paying. Not many people carry cash anymore. Give them a try, you'll be so glad you did!Connie Dowdy Campbell

I took this program about 3 years ago, and I couldn’t help but to think about how beneficial it has been for me throughout the years. I took this course to get more hands on experience with patients as a CNA for PA school. Not only has it allowed me to learn the skills of providing patient care, it has also given me the confidence in providing patient care as well. Mrs. Studstill has taught me many valuable skill sets as well as morals that I will continue to carry with me throughout my journey towards becoming a PA. I definitely recommend taking this program. Mrs. Studstill is one of the best instructors out there. She only wants you to succeed.Vivian Nguyen

Mrs studstill is a great teacher she is very firm but she knows what she is doing. I am so thankful and blessed that I was accepted there she taught me a lot if you want to learn you need to go to her class you want regret it she always told us that we are Gods children and don’t let anyone put you down we can do anything we put our minds to. People have told me I couldn’t do things but she told me different and made me believe in myself. Well I made it I am a CNA and all I can say is thank you so much for everything Mrs studstill you are the best I met some wonderful friends there and we are all a family now.Tammie Cook

With years of prior knowledge in the medical field Mrs.Studstill helped me pass her class, and state testing my first time. By being 17, the youngest in her class, and still going to high school proves that this class was not a waste of time and was well worth it! She broke down, talked about, and explained all 10 chapters of our textbook/ workbook/homework book. With experience in the medicine she prepared us for anything that we may encounter or see out in the field. This was a fast paced class for the month I was in there and I’d 10/10 recommend it to anyone who is seeking knowledge in Nursing.Hallie Poulin

My name is Andina Lee and I am a former student of Southeastern Institute. I wanted to give my honest opinion about the program and my experience working as a therapist after my program ended. From the beginning I was taught a very extensive and in-depth curriculum that will prepare a person getting out of school with the knowledge and responsibilities it takes to be a success clinical massage therapist. Compared to other schools in the area, in my opinion, Southeastern students have a more advanced understanding of anatomy and physiology and multiple modalities which adds more value to the field of massage therapy and more demand for our students. I have never had an issue finding a job when I went out to search for one and the 900 hour curriculum is a good stepping stone for any therapist that wants to take a continuing Ed class for more advanced modalities or bodywork techniques. All and I all I am happy with the experience and would recommend this school to anyone wanting to get into the field. Thanks Ms. Michelin and Ms. Jones and all the staff at Southeastern for helping me get closer to my dreams.D lii

Southeastern Institute/College is the best thing that happened to me. The class that I’m taking is Medical Assistant with the best teacher Ms. Campbell hands down. She’s an absolutely beautiful person inside and out and if they had an RN program and she was the teacher I’ll definitely be enrolling back at Southeastern, moreover the staff is awesome and I just love Cora and my advisor Ms. Sherry and I can’t name them all but I love my school family and sometimes people just don’t put enough effort into school but it’s a five for me because I love it.!!!Nisha Glover

Southeastern has been excellent to me. I'm a student of the massage therapy program. As a combat veteran I was initially nervous about attending an in class program, but from admissions to financial aid to my in class instructors Mrs. Michelin, Ms. Shelton and Miss Demas everyone has been super helpful and enrollment was fast and impressively efficient. I called and two weeks later i was enrolled. I would highly recommend Southeastern to anyone interested in a career in massage therapy.Richard Dyson

I'm very impressed with everything about my experiences at this location! From the moment you walk in the door you are greeted by a kind, genuine smiling face welcoming you you to their facility. They have a very knowledgeable and professional staff at every level of their operations. I have had multiple surgeries here and could not be more pleased with the outcome. I've had two knee surgeries by Dr.DeSilva and a bicep reattachment performed by Dr. Seth Bowman. 100% satisfied with all procedures. I am currently being treated for a pulled muscle in my left calf due to heat and extremely excessive use at my job. Today I had the pleasure of being treated by Lauren Mothena, PA, PA-C. She was genuinely concerned about my injury and was very helpful addressing it. She thoroughly explained everything to me and gave me some helpful information for a better recovery. I trust the doctors here more than anywhere else I've ever been. I would definitely highly recommend this place to anyone who has Orthopedic needs! Can't imagine anyone having a bad experience here!!chuck lucas

I had my right hip resurfaced by Dr. Gross three days ago. Everything went smoothly. Since the surgery, I haven’t felt any pain on the surgical side / the operated hip . It is like a miracle! I have been suffering from a painful hip for my 26 years. Dr. Gross and his entire team at the center are caring, highly skilled medical professionals. I couldn’t have prayed a better outcome: a new hip and a new life! I am forever grateful! From the very first contact with this team – Evelyn, Lee, Crystal, Brittney and other nurses to Dr. Gross himself, I’ve had only good interactions. I would highly recommend!Vivian Wang

Yesterday was my first visit and it was extraordinary! The patient customer service was AWESOME! We were greeted as soon as we walked into the door. Mark was our therapist and he explained the procedure that will be used after my surgery. He was very knowledgeable concerning the procedures. I really enjoyed my visit and will look forward to retuning for physical therapy next week!Belindra Broome

Never go here! If you want to better yourself and gain a degree go any where else! This is a horrible school! They will ruin your life!roni c

I had a photography and videography class there and I love that class so much I have learned a lot and made a new friend.Jaylen Anderson

This has been the worst experience ever. One star is to good. When I say we literally worked for two weeks trying to finalize all paperwork ahead of arrival and receive confirmation that everything was done. Only to arrive the following Monday and my daughter need $2000 more to start school. If you want my advice force your daughter to go elsewhere. The previous post about the view is correct but then that's not what your there for. From financial aid to finance there is absolutely know decent customer service not communication going on. You feel like a ping pong ball going back and forth. I will be pushing my daughter to complete elsewhere. Absolutely HORRIBLE.Corinne Whitmire

I feel like I truly missed out on the college experience going here. I never saw guys, there is no way to really access town without using the buses, and half the teachers write their own textbooks. The view out the dorm Windows tends to be a tree or a parking lot. Preference is given to sports people as usual, and the science department was so underfunded that half the equipment was outdated. Textbook costs were routinely over 700 a semester, for compsci. And I was downloading half my books for free!! Not to mention that tuition has only gone up drastically. You can get a better education for cheaper elsewhere. Like USC.Tabitha Johnson

Super excited to start in the fall! Edit: Have been here 3 years now, and I graduate in Dec 2019. Still in love with the school 🙂 It has exceeded my expectations. CC has amazing science programs, great professors, and truly caring staff. This is a place where you can get a rigorous education amongst people that want you to succeed and give you support and help along the way. I reccomend this school to those that want a good foundation in the liberal arts as well as a top notch education in their major. I love this place. I know you will, too!Preston “P. Siegler” Siegler

An excellent Med Tech training classes. Mrs Gaskins is very knowledgeable about medical information for you to b successful. Th main focus is to stay on your Scope of Practice and be Professional.Tameika Adams

Just passed through whilst visiting Columbia, and I was quite impressed. The trees were outstanding and tall, the buildings were old but still looked good, and there was a fairly distinctive campus feel despite being in a rather large city. The palmettos make the campus much nicer and southern-feeling, and the various live oaks around campus give a very “Old South” feel. Cannot attest to the academics, though I did see a lot of “frat boy-types” and wondered if this school has that type of culture. The few people I chatted with were very nice and welcoming, and I would recommend visit the McKissick Museum or other places around here to get a sense of the culture and history of the school. G(oh) Cocks! Cheers.Kyle Hartmann

I never really heard of this place until we moved to the South. Then I saw a bunch of shirts with these roosters on them. Then one day I wandered down the road to Columbia just to see what the place was like. Then I found myself on this campus. It really seems like it has a party scene to it and it kind of reminds me of Arizona State University in some ways. It seems to be a fun place to go to school. The library was AMAZING! It even had an exhibit with some civil rights history items on display. I loved every bit of it. All and I think this is a great school. Nice and hilly too.noneya business

I did my PhD here as an international student and the experience was somewhat jarring at first and there seems to be a great deal of tension at the university over perceived inequality in the grading metrics and greater politicization of the faculty. Nevertheless, there are some fantastic people present who take time out of their day to see to your requests unlike some universities where the process is conducted from a financial perspective than a human one.Narcissus

I have partnered with Professional Development & Training Services, L.L.C. on several occasions. The owner, Kesha L. Hayes, has a wonderful spirit and a real passion for caring for aging beauties in the community. Her staff, educators, and facilities are all top-notch.AJ Brown

I had just recently moved to South Carolina and was looking to continue my education and get myself working a job that I loved, but it was hard balancing school and having a baby. PMTC made it possible! I love that their classes are two days a week and that they have flexible times for if I needed days or nights. It made it so much easier going to school knowing I wouldn’t be spending too much time away from my family. I took my CNA and had the best experience, I learned so much and got one on one when I needed it and never felt rushed or left behind. I also love how they have different companies come in and talk to the students..because of this I left at the end of my class with a job already!! It was perfect. Not to mention they are so affordable and they help you all the way up until you take your state exams and even after by offering job fairs! I am actually going back to get my phlebotomy! That’s how much I loved the environment AND staff! 10/10 recommend to anyone looking to get into the medical field!Miranda Smith

I am a current phlebotomy student at PMTC and I absolutely love the program. My teacher is Ms. Fitch she has been great. She makes learning easy; breaking down the information so that we understand what we are learning. She is passionate about the field and it shows through her desire to teach both the course information and clinical. I feel confident that by the end of this course I will be prepared for the field and national testing. If your considering I definitely say go for it.Kelsey Woods

I’m currently in Ms. Fitch’s Phlebotomy class and I can truly say she’s been an amazing instructor to my class and I. She’s direct, answers all our questions in a way we can understand AND gives us the real world aspect of it. The confidence and excellence Ms. Fitch portrays, sparkles on us all! When I applied, there was one spot left and I am beyond thankful I had the opportunity to be apart of this fun experience. Hands down, the best!Trinity Fortenberry

This is nothing but a greedy FOR PROFIT school. I am still paying off a student loan for this place and they did not give quality education. Thank god I only have $7,000 left to pay off. I had to drop out because i didn't want to be $30,000 in debt. This school is a joke. They try to hide the fact that they are giving out APPLIED ASSOCIATES degrees meaning you cannot take this degree and transfer to a 4yr college. They barely even had books in there library until someone reported them to SACS and they scrambled around last minute to buy books and new furniture for the empty library in fear that it would be discovered that they were not really an accredited school after all. Professors would come and go and we would be stuck on a particular chapter for weeks. Mind you each class was only 4 weeks long because it is an accelerated learning school so you would basically have learned nothing from that class but still have to pay for it. It has been some years since I've seen this place but i would definitely warn others to stay away. I cannot believe this campus is still open. PLEASE STAY AWAY!! They make it easier for you to sign up and promise you job placement but many of my fellow colleagues could not pass the exam for medical assisting and sadly now they are 20-30,000 in debt and working at McDonald's. If you are reading this try your luck at a different technical college. Find one that is actually accredited or just go to Midlands Tech or other 4yr colleges nearby. Good luck.Lila W

I am a current student at Ecpi Columbia campus and I have all the best things to say about them. Staff is absolutely awesome and helpful. They have answered all the questions I had and were very upfront with everything. Classes are accelerated, 2 classes for 5 weeks and for the most part no unnecessary classes which means I will have my bachelor degree in 2.5 years. I am taking night classes which is great since I work full time job during the day. This cannot be more perfect for me. Instructors are very knowledgeable about the subjects they are teaching and are very helpful in every step of the way. I love that they care so much that if you are not in class or a falling behind they will call you and offer assistance and are willing to meet on a very flexible schedule. Working full time and being a full time student, on top of taking care of my children is a lot of time and effort and it can be hard. This school understands that and as long as I communicate with my instructors they have helped me so far in every step of the way.Danijela Sabljak

I regret coming to this school! The teachers didn’t care. We basically had to teach ourselves! Some of the teachers have nasty attitudes! They don’t care about their students and are more worried about the money and the politics. More worried about their “success” numbers than getting their students to success. I believe the way students do succeed is my taking the education in themselves without help with the teachers but some of us don’t learn like that. Hardly had any labs and when we did, they didn’t have the appropriate supplies. For example, when to learn about EKGs and we couldn’t because they didn’t have any leads to show us where to place. And the teacher said oh well, read your book. Like seriously? I was taught at my work how to do EKGs. This place is a joke! And don’t even try to ask for help because you won’t get it.Megan Shon Stanton

My two daughters went to get CPR certification and I told the instructor when I called that one needed pediatric CPR and the other needed BLS. She send them both pediatric CPR cards even after confirming that both needed two different cards when they arrived, we called her soon as we pulled out the parking lot and she said that she would fix it. She call back 3 days later and tried to convince me that the BLS and pediatric CPR was the same. After she couldn't convince me she said she wanted $25 more to send the correct card. When I didn't budge she hung up the phone. Not to mention my duaghter had to figure out how get the equipment to work. Something is wrong when you can't remember what somebody told you hours earlier.Valencia Lowery

I made $350 for the first installment of the full payment of almost $800. I had morning classes because i worked. I was attending morning classes as i worked evenings i asked before signing up and paying my money if there will be morning classes well to make my story short the company didn't have enough students for morning classes so they canceled it and kept my money i only attended 1 class and they stole my money beware!!!!!!Angel Love

Absolutely not!!! I simply called to see what opportunities are offered here and the receptionist was very nasty.. First impression is the best impression I will certainly not invest my money with any company who can’t even answer the phone politely… I’ll pass … Good luck to whoever decide to take a chance here… I posted a nasty voicemail she left me… all off me asking was this a professional establishment.Journey Mello