PCI is a small school with great programs. Their accredited surgical technology program is a fast paced program with great instructors who genuinely care about you and your education. Compared to other education I've had, PCI is the institution I would pick again and again. read more

PLEASE READ!!! I was a student there for a long time, studying Surgical Technology. I loved it, I went all the way through. How? I have no idea. we would have fights break out in the middle of class, the student would not be kicked out. I had a teacher ( I cannot make this up) she let us go on a break, she never came back. the school did not have a staff to replace her, so my tuition paid for a class that we sat and hung out. then about three months later, they brought her back, with a pay raise. about 3 weeks later, you guessed it. she never showed up to class and never came back. I had to sit through a computer class... taught by someone who was not qualified to teach. then I went out on my 1st clinical rotation. I asked repetitively Please don't send me to children's hospital. I was about 25 weeks pregnant, and a firm believer that babies do not deserve to be sick. guess where they sent me? Children's hospital. I cried about 95% of the time because I am a firm believer that babies do not deserve to be that sick. then after I completed my 10 week rotation. I put in a leave of absence because I was due the week I was supposed to graduate. well in my couple of months off, I kept in constant contact with the current Clinical Coordinator. I mean in the 3 months I took off. I had 6 clinical coordinators. then finally they called me asking me if I could come back. I was like YES!!! I just want to get done. I got all the way through my 10 week clinical rotation. I had an interview set up at a hospital, I GOT THE JOB! my then Clinical coordinator told me I had met ALL of my hours, then I got the call! I was hired! life was making sense again! then on a Monday night I got a call that changed everything, turns out I had not met my hours and was then disenrolled from the program for missing a day without calling off. I appealed this every way I could. then they made me wait 3 weeks after promising an answer within the work week, guess what. DENIED! I waited 6 months to appeal this decision again!! I even contacted several lawyers! (no one would take it due to no written proof) I appealed the decision again. waited another 2 weeks after being promised an answer within the week. and guess what. I spent $32,000 to get denied because my clinical coordinator left me out to hang and wouldn't tell anyone he told me I was done. I hope someone out there reads this and runs so far away from this school. read more

Being a part of student's success is a great feeling! This school gives the students all of the information and hands on learning that they need to be successful in their chosen medical field. read more

This place is a joke! My daughter went here she has an Iep. Not one accommodation was made for her, when she asked for tutoring help. They teacher told her that she had better things to do than help my kid. My daughter took the vet program there was also a lot of favoritism from the head teacher. The school is a scam if you get grants why would you have to take out loans on top of it? You write a review on Facebook and they attack you. Plus they have roaches at the school. read more

If I could give this school zero stars I honestly would after just graduating from an unaccredited surgical tech program I have had nothing but problems from this school including my class mates having similar problems. The staff was completely unprofessional and never had a clue what they were doing. My "clinical coordinator" never said not one word to me in my whole ten weeks of my externship when seeing him daily. I lost multiple jobs due to the school and not receiving my diploma until 3 months after finishing the program. All this school wants is your money and they care zero about your education and if you are failing your class or struggling. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. While some of the staff here are helpful, the majority of them blow smoke up you butt about everything. The turn around rate for instructors is ASTONISHING. I spent a good portion of time at this school (I should've went somewhere else honestly) and I watched as multiple instructors from multiple programs quit (because they refuse to pay them appropriately) or got fired (usually over stupid things). At least 8 employees in my time of being there. The biggest problem I had was students never being screened to see if they would even be a good fit at the school, because all they care about is the money!!! They let ANYONE that walks in the door become a student and it's shameful how these people can act. I understand people wanting to turn their lives around but people who just genuinely don't care and take away the education from those who WANT to be there? Shouldn't happen. There is massive drama at this school, it's like high school all over again. The higher ups don't do anything to help you when you're in a tough spot except the director of education, Mrs. Brinton. She's probably the only person in the entirety of the staff that actually cares about her students. The president is rude, and looks down on every student she interacts with because she has a PhD so nobody could possibly have the intelligence she does! (Sense the sarcasm). Any time I've ever had to write an APA format paper, every teachers stipulations were different on how it should be written and I honestly don't think one of them even knows the proper way for it to be done. They claim to "teach you the basics in your field" but then when you get to the point of clinical/externship you don't know anything and it's beyond embarrassing. Their policy on cheating is a joke. You get 3 chances to cheat before you removed from your program? What kind of bull crap is that? They make you pay for scrubs, which by the way are beyond uncomfortable and EXPENSIVE because they INSIST on having scrubs with their school logo and your program listen on it. Embroidery should be an option and students should be allowed to pick what scrubs they want out of a selection. I personally was mildly allergic to the fabric of the scrubs and had no choice but to wear them because they're "uniform". Cotton scrubs should be an option. When you buy books from their "book store" (it's literally a closet with books on shelves that are generally outdated by a few editions) you are charged FULL PRICE for the book as if it were brand new, and then when you return the book they give you a portion of the money back. There are some classes they swear you need the book for and then you never use it so you end up losing money. It's ludicrous. Ms. Powell will swear up and down you aren't being charged full price for a USED book, but you are. I was charged $163 for a book I never even used and when I returned it I was given $30 back. I'm already thousands in debt, what the heck is $30 gonna do? That's another thing! They FORCE you to file as an independent even when you aren't. I was granted very little financial aid even though I was a dependent on my parent so I have more loans than I did financial aid. I told the older woman who did my financial aid that I was a dependent and that my parent had 0 income and she still filed me as independent. And when I tried to ask her to correct it she told me we would get together, and then she avoided me the whole time I was there! So I went to the younger woman and she told me we couldn't change it because the money was already coming in. They tell you it's "very hands on" but it's not. Every program does more book work than lab work and then you get to the point of your clinical/externship and have absolutely no idea what you're doing. There were essential things I needed before going to my clinical/externship and I didn't have those skills. And it's not the teachers fault, it's how the programs are designed and it's terrible. There's also always big roaches in the basement and they just think it's normal because "it's downtown" and "bugs happen". While I understand the occasional roach, this place is constantly having 1-3 inch roaches roaming around the basement like they're students there too. We even started naming them cause there were so many. Disgusting. All in all, I would not recommend going to this school. You are just another dollar in their pocket here and your education isn't very important to the majority of the staff. Invest your potential student loan debt in a school that is actually concerned about bettering your life. read more

Thankful I've received my certificate THAT IS ALL. I had to get an "instructor" fired she spoke about me to the class also was a know it all and was more like friends with certain classmates if you ask me they found her off the streets! I had to go through so much just to accomplish my goal as a medical biller and coder which I only landed a job as a biller and bbn it took me forever bc the "career building team" WAS NO HELP. Better believe they have their favorites all of the instructors were rude and not much help I've learned mostly everything by reading on my own. I didnt even waste my time going to graduation. This place is a joke. Not to mention they didnt include my name on the list of orders for certificates I didnt receive mine until 5 months AFTER GRADUATING!!! read more

Two words: SCAM SCHOOL! They reel you in with empty promises, make you sign papers during your tour and then it's too late to change your mind. I once overpaid my tuition so I was owed a check for around $3,00, then had to fight for weeks to get this check that was owed to me. To my surprise the check was to expire 9 days after I finally got it, so they were trying to withhold my money. This school is definitely SHADY. Teachers works without contract and even they know this school is a joke. And FYI rumor has it they're on probation and on the verge of losing their accreditation for EVERY career path there. Please don't waste your time or money and choose a better (real, accredited, etc...) school. Leaving this school has been such a blessing and I'm on a MUCH better path now. read more

I wish someone would have told me the truth about this place BEFORE I signed the paperwork. I am not sure which program "Shannyn D" (Yelp reviewer) went for at PCI, I am 99.99 % sure it was not Massage Therapy. There are several schools in the PGH area, don't make the same mistake I made. I chose this school because it was the shortest duration/time to complete. Although it claims to have over 900 hours which is well-above the requirements to take the MBLeX for licensure. I began classes in Sept 2017. To begin, as soon as Jonathan Watts charms you into this great school choice, the sooner you sign the paperwork and he can turn his back to never be available. I get it, it is a business school. Meaning, it is all a business...they are in it to make money, that is all. The woman in financial aid for starters, the day I sat with her she kept my log in and password for my previous financial aid for CCAC...she was signing in as me to make changes-to follow up. Extremely unethical. I still have emails that advised me that "thank you for updating your paperwork, if you did not log in, please let us know..." Knowing I did not log in., I went to her and she told me they (PCI) is trying to help me get everything in order. So my mistake for not stopping at this first "red light". Lets fast forward to the beginning of classes. We started with 8 students, a Massage Therapy Director, an instructor. By Dec., we had 3 students left. No director and no instructor. This is when I left. I knew they did not take the program seriously. The last week of classes, we would come in and there was no instructor, no messages-we literally sat there. I was extremely uneasy. There are no substitutes to cover the program classes. Each instructor has their own program to follow. We had the "librarian/security guard" as a substitute-once. During the beginning of classes, no the teachers did not care about everyone. The director was great but she can only do so much. The instructor we had only bad -mouthed the director every day in class. It was clear there was animosity and drama and so much immaturity and nobody wants to take responsibility for anything. What a cluster-f. Also, the class that graduated before our class went on to take their Mbex-everyone that did, failed. We had 2 students that joined our class to "retake" the courses to help them try to pass the Mblex. It is a hard test and this school in no way prepares you for it. I have since left the school, but let me tell you I talk to people that are still at the school, not int he class but lets say that there is a little bird that says the school has a new Director and a new Instructor and they never have hands-on, which is essential in practicing for Massage Therapy. If you do decide to ignore my warnings, it is fair enough...I am only one person, but I am one person that cares enough that I dont want someone to waste their time even considering this place, Find a more reputable school. This downtown business school was once Sanford Brown, Western School of Business before that. These schools come and go, they are a dime a dozen and there is no guarantee that they will stay open. When I signed up we were also told that there is a chance that before we graduate, the school would lose their accreditation. Pittsburgh School of Massage Therapy is a better choice. I have met people that went there and it is strictly for Massage, not 10 courses in one building. Do your homework-oh, and also--whatever you do, get everything in writing. If you decide to come here to PCI., It was 3 months in and I never received my scrubs, which are a requirement to attend classes. Mine were not ordered and I was told that they had to wait until the next group of students signed up. I am still going to be responsible for paying for them anyway. Even though I never had them. We also never received any massage equipment. We did not yet receive our massage tables. Each block of classes is one month approximately, it is like a semester because each block the classes change-so for 3 "blocks" we had nothing that we needed. and when i looked hindsight at what i signed., the paperwork states only, "lab equipment" not specifying what that includes., so please get a list in writing. I wish I did. ...I asked Jonathan for a list in the beginning and he said ,"oh you will get all of that " smiling, and brushed it off but in his charming way that i should have no worries. I went against my better judgment. Apparently it includes dirty ripped sheets and stained heating pads. We only had 2 pads when there are 4 beds. Where does all the money go?$14k for? I can guarantee you will not be happy here. There is no reason at all to go here. Please feel free to contact me for more info. Good luck with wherever you chose. Education is a big investment, choose wisely. read more

Pittsburgh Career Institute is an amazing school. The employees genuinely care about each and every student there. They have an open door policy and they actually stick with it. They are willing to work with you on anything you could possibly need. There is always someone able to answer any questions you may have, they never make you wait or come back to have them answered. The school is very clean. They do have security and they do check everyone's ID while entering the building, which is a HUGE plus going to a school downtown. This school does care about the safety of their students especially when it comes to weather concerns. I personally have had teachers call me to make sure I have gotten home safely. I feel very welcomed here, and I actually love coming to school. I have never once had a bad experience here. I am a current Respiratory Therapy student here at PCI, and I have had numerous people sign up for different programs here. I will also always recommend someone looking into college to this school. I can honestly say that I am very honored to say I attend Pittsburgh Career Institute! read more