<h2 id="section---IsUltimateMedicalAcademyTheSchoolForYou"> Is Ultimate Medical Academy the School for You?</h2> <p>Ultimate Medical Academy offers career-focused programs designed to prepare you to work as an assistant or technician in a dental or medical office. On UMA's Tampa, Florida campus you can take classes and complete laboratory training in day or evening, part-time or full-time schedules. UMA also offers online programs. Read on to learn some of the the pros and cons of attending this school. </p> <h4 id="section---Pros"> Pros</h4> <ul><li>School has open admissions policy </li><li>Diverse student body </li><li>Offers academic and career counseling services, employment services for students and placement services for completers </li></ul><h4 id="section---Cons"> Cons</h4> <ul><li>150% graduation rate is 11.1 percentage points lower than the national average for 2-year private schools </li><li>Limited number of academic programs </li><li>Three-year cohort default rate is 13.6 percentage points higher than the national average. </li></ul><h3 id="section---UltimateMedicalAcademyAtAGlance"> Ultimate Medical Academy at a Glance</h3> <p>UMA offers nine diploma programs on its Tampa campus, including medical assistant, patient care technician, pharmacy technician and dental assistant programs. The Tampa campus also offers associates degrees in health sciences and nursing, and several UMA programs can be completed entirely online. UMA students may enter the healthcare workforce in as little as two months. Externships are available to provide students with on-the-job training. </p> <p>According to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 49% of UMA students who began their studies in the 2010-2011 academic year graduated within 150% of normal time for their program. Measured against similar 2-year, private schools, the 150% UMA graduation rate is 11.1 percentage points below the 2010 national average of 60.1% published by <i>The Chronicle of Higher Education</i>. </p> <p>While this school has a diverse student body, you may not see many students on campus since 90% of students are enrolled in distance-only education, according to the NCES in 2012. </p> <p>The academy is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). UMA is also a member of the Career College Association and the National Healthcare Association. </p> <h2 id="section---AdmissionsFinancialAidAtUltimateMedicalAcademy">Admissions &amp; Financial Aid at Ultimate Medical Academy</h2> <p>Anyone with a high school diploma or equivalent can apply to UMA at any time. Applications are processed immediately and you should hear from UMA within 24 hours of submitting your application. To learn more about UMA's programs, you can fill out an online inquiry form or call the admissions office toll free. A free career consultation is offered by the academy. </p> <p>UMA accepts federal financial aid programs and it waives the application fee for active military members and their immediate families and for veterans. It was named a 'Military Friendly School' by Victory Media in 2013. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><th> Application and Tuition Info </th><th /></tr> <tr><td> <i>Regular Application Deadline (2013)</i> </td><td> Rolling admissions*</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Notification of Acceptance (2014)</i> </td><td> 24 hours after application is submitted*</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Application Fee (2014)</i> </td><td> $25*</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Acceptance Rate </i> </td><td> Open admissions*</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Tuition &amp; Fees (2013-2014)</i> </td><td> $15,550 for the largest program, Medical Billing and Coding Diploma**</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Average Grant or Scholarship Aid (2012-2013)</i> </td><td> $4,461**</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Median Student Debt from Federal Loans (2012)</i> </td><td> $8,983 for largest program, Medical Billing and Coding Diploma*</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Student Loan Default Rate (2010)</i> </td><td> 18.2%**</td></tr> </table><h2 id="section---StudentLifeAtUltimateMedicalAcademy">Student Life at Ultimate Medical Academy</h2> <p>Although UMA does not provide on-campus housing, it provides career preparation and placement services, such as resume writing services. UMA makes it a priority to help its students find employment following graduation. </p> <p>After completing your program at UMA, you can participate in an in-person graduation ceremony, or you can log-on to a 'virtual graduation' and participate via chat room. These ceremonies are not held at the same time. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><th> Student Life Info </th><th /></tr> <tr><td> <i>Campus Setting</i> </td><td> Urban*</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Student Population (2012)</i> </td><td> 12,393 undergraduates**</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Male-to-Female Student Ratio (2012)</i> </td><td> 9% to 91%**</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>% of Full Time Students (2012)</i> </td><td> 80%**</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>% of In-state Students (2011)</i> </td><td> 21%**</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Retention Rate (2011-2012)</i> </td><td> 54%**</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Campus Housing Available</i> </td><td> No*</td></tr> <tr><td> <i>Number of Libraries</i> </td><td> 1 online library*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Article sources: *UMA Website, **NCES.</i></p>