Phlebotomy Training Academy school is highly recommended and highly praised. Ken is very knowledgeable, professional, patient, and very flexible to work with your school and schedule needs. Ken's teaching tactics prepare you for the national state exam. Every day in class, he gives you a quiz and goes over the answers you missed after taking the test. He believes failure and mistakes are the best teachers. After you complete the class lectures and didactics, Ken still allows you to come back and practice blood draws if you feel that you need more practice. He sets you up with externship with ease. There were negative reviews regarding how difficult it was during covid times. Not many places were open on those times, yet Ken still kept in touch with his students, and he found ways to make it work. Please take my word for it. This is a top-notch phlebotomy program. Ken's teaching skills, knowledge, fairness, and flexibility will not disappoint. His program will help you pass the state exam, sharpen your phlebotomy knowledge, and prepare you for a job. read more

I am writing this review to warn future students about my current situation and the potential issues they may face. I enrolled in the Phlebotomy Training Academy (PTA) 3-week course (held over 5 Saturdays) because it seemed like a quick and convenient way to complete phlebotomy training. Unfortunately, my experience has been very different from what I expected. I completed the course in August. The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) exam was more difficult than the curriculum prepared us for. However, I did learn a lot during the course, especially from Alana, who was a fantastic instructor and very knowledgeable in her field. I passed the NHA exam in October and immediately began the externship placement process in November. This is where the majority of my issues began. The program primarily uses two externship sites: * Palomar Health - which currently has an extremely long waitlist for externship placement. * Sharp Rees-Stealy - which was restricted to "essential personnel only" and required additional background checks and drug testing. When they eventually responded about placements, they said they would only accept one student per month. Because of the long waitlists and restrictions, I chose a third externship option that required an additional $300 payment. This option was supposed to guarantee faster placement and allow students to complete the externship and obtain state certification within one week. I also attempted to pursue certification through other organizations, such as the American Red Cross, but I was unsuccessful in securing placement through those routes. I have called and emailed the school multiple times without receiving clear answers. I eventually went to the office in person, where Leah advised me to speak directly with Ken Gravley regarding placement, even though I had already been trying to reach him. When I finally spoke with Ken, he told me to stop by the office and bring cash or a check for the externship placement with Dr. Wong. This felt unusual because he told not only me but other students the same thing to place the cash or check in an envelope and leave it in his mailbox, with no receipt or proof of payment. We were told that at some point he would contact us with externship dates. This entire process has been a stressful and frustrating experience, especially while balancing work and personal responsibilities. I strongly recommend that future students carefully consider the potential challenges they may face when enrolling in this program. I have also reached out to several previous students who left 1-star reviews here and received responses from Ken. I plan to update this review based on whether those students were ultimately able to receive externship placement and obtain their certification. If students are unable to become certified after paying $1,995 for the program, that is a significant financial loss. Living in California is already expensive, and it is concerning to invest that amount of money in a program that may not provide the support needed to obtain certification as promised. read more

It was a very informational class, and I definitely can use it for my future endeavors in the medical field. Alanna was really great, and I learned a lot from her during my time here. Thank you to Ken and Alanna :) read more

Alanna is an excellent instructor and takes the time to make sure you retain the information.

Just completed the course! Alana is great!! If you get her -- you are lucky! The course is super informative and goes by so fast. Loved every class I've taken. I definitely learned a lot in 5 classes. read more

Such an amazing class! I took the Saturday sessions with Alanna and she was such a perfect instructor! The classes are structured really nicely and allow so much room for growth. Prior to starting the course, I had never gotten my blood drawn before (gasp, I know) but this class really builds a nice foundation and truly solidifies the idea that anyone can learn! If it wasn't clear enough, this program is fantastic and I can only give glowing reviews, I've even recommended the Saturday courses to my friend! Thank you Alanna for being the best teacher and thank you Ken for the support! read more

Highly recommend! I was so torn which school to attend but so thankful and happy I chose this. The instructor, Ken, is wonderful, patient and very soft spoken. Always asking we had questions and so very helpful throughout with hands on instruction and great stories. He makes it very interesting and is a top Phlebotomist for 20 years so he is very professional, knowledgable and wants to see us all win. I chose the morning classes with about 14 students in the class so very personable and smaller which makes it easy for Ken to offer personalized help and instruction. Yesterday I just passed the NHA test so excited for my next step of externship. Thank you Thank you Thank you Ken!! read more

Great program! Ken is such a great teacher, I learned so much and left the program fully confident in my new skill set. The externship was an amazing experience. I had so much fun that week! Everyone there was so helpful and supportive. I passed my test easily and the licensing process was very simple thanks to Ken's help. I have a girlfriend that went to a 6 month program and is still jumping through hoops to get her license. I highly recommend Phlebotomy TA! read more

Phlebotomy Training Academy - Yayyy I'm official! - Test Preparation Near Me - Escondido, California

very well organized and digestible, Alanna does a great job of making the class engaging and making sure we all understand.

This was a great phlebotomy course! I was very nervous to take this, as I'm in my late 50s, and haven't been in any type of school for many years. Our instructor Ken was wonderful! His knowledge of phlebotomy and instruction , and not to mention his personality and humor, made this course very comfortable. I would recommend this course to anyone seeking an accelerated course. Thanks again Ken AK read more

i recently took this course (August 2024) I have to say it was short but Ken our teacher is super informative, I do have to say on some of the parts it felt a little rushed, thankfully my brother is currently a phlebotomist so he helped me a lot and I tried to ask as much questions in class as well as much as I could, my suggestion to those coming in is ask as much question as you can if you don't understand something, I met a lot of good people in the class as well. it was definitely enough information to pass the class and get certified so excited to move on to next steps (internshi). overall experience it was short and worth it read more

Amazing teacher's with smaller personalized classes! 10/10 recommend. I felt 100% prepared for the exam and a career in phlebotomy!

Had taken the class 3 months ago, with 2 instructors and 1 goal in mind. In this fast paced course, the material was well presented, even had I not come from a medical background. You will be well prepared for NHA test, and externship thereafter. In Ken we trust. read more

Look no further! This is the school for you. Amazing instructor who is clear and direct. This school makes learning phlebotomy easy, and they are take the right steps in making sure you are safe and comfortable in hands on training. If you are interested in phlebotomy, look no further! Check it out and email Ken. Very friendly, easy going, and relaxed. read more

Everything about the experience was great, the instructor was thorough and very helpful. 10/10 school. I was able to pass my exam no problem. read more

Phlebotomy Training Academy is great! The classes provide everything that you need to start a career in the phlebotomy field and Ken, the instructor is amazing. A great hands on class, you really get comfortable drawing blood with great instruction and feedback every step of the way. Cost of the classes were very affordable compared to other phlebotomy schools. 10/10 would recommended! read more

If you are interested in taking the first step to becoming a licensed phlebotomist in California, I highly recommend enrolling in the Phlebotomy Training Academy!! I recently completed the course and graduated. After researching available programs, I found this one to be the most affordable. But more importantly, I was looking for an accelerated program with affordable rates! My instructor was Mr. Young and he was amazing! He has decades of experience, so not only did I learn everything required to know as a phlebotomist, but I also learned several tricks and tips that will help me in my future career! We had a small class size, which made the learning experience more personalized to our individual needs. Unlike other schools I researched, time was not wasted practicing venipuncture procedures on dummies. Instead, we got plenty of hands on experience practicing on each other. I was able to complete 16 capillary punctures and 42 venipunctures during my class hours! Now that I have graduated from the program, I feel confident and prepared to take the next steps to becoming licensed! read more

Honestly, when looking into Phlebotomy schools I was super skeptical, because of the mixed reviews, but I am so glad I chose to go with the Phlebotomy Training Academy. The 3 weeks flew by and I was more than prepared for the National Exam. I passed the National Exam the next week and am waiting for my placement in my externship. Be prepared to have your blood drawn about twice every day though. It's not a huge deal because it was a great way for all of us to feel comfortable drawing blood. It was a great encouraging learning experience. read more

I attended Phlebotomy Training Academy last year. The owner Ken taught us one day only and he was very pleasant and thorough. However, the remaining time the class was taught by an older female teacher who continually yelled at students and often tried to intimidate and embarrass each of us--totally unprofessional! I also did not learn adequately enough from the female teacher even though I passed the final exam. After my experience with Phlebotomy Training Academy, I enrolled in a different phlebotomy school and recently completed my externship. While at the other school, I was treated respectfully and got plenty of hands on training in comparison to the Phlebotomy Training Academy. I feel I wasted my time and money at this school and regret my decision to ever attend here. read more

Ken is a very good instructor, approachable and so humble. Its a fast-paced training but ive really learned a lot. With his teaching techniques makes it easier to understand is advantsge for the students especially if u are new in this field. This school is highly recommended. read more

Phlebotomy Training Academy is the best! Ken really taught us well and definitely prepared us with everything we needed. I would recommend this place to any and everyone! I had the best learning experience here ! read more

Ken has been actively keeping in touch with me for scheduling an externship that will work with my schedule. I can see that he cares that his students follow through to the end of the program and are well prepared for a career in phlebotomy. read more

So i came back to give this school this rating because the externship that was promised was never upheld. I even gave them a possible clinic that i wanted to work with (who sent multiple emails) and they never responded. Total waste on money read more

It's unfortunate I have to leave this review however people need to be informed. The course itself was great and Ken is a great teacher, however I completed the course in July of 2020 and took the national certification exam and passed just a few weeks later which is needed to start an externship however it's been more than 1 year now with no communication regarding hours. Keep in mind most facilities do not hire if you are not licensed. And you basically have zero chance at applying for jobs if you are not licensed. I understand covid messed up alot of things but there should be some communication about this. Again I still have no completed an externship since July 2020. It's difficult trying to find a facility on your own because there needs to be an agreement between the school and facility and most already have partnerships in which they get phlebotomy students from. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. This place is a scam you don't ever go out for your externship, he say's it's because of Covid but I highly doubt it. Definitely not worth the money. read more

The instructor is very educated. My class drew blood on the first day. Overall, would recommend the phlebotomy training academy for anyone thinking about pursuing phlebotomy. read more

Super fun and educational. Definitely a life changing class

Very professionally run organization from top to bottom and you can tell that they love what they do. They keep the class sizes small so they can really focus on the students and help each of them to learn in the way that makes the most sense to them (since we all learn a bit differently). Lots of hands-on experiences which is always a great way to learn and retain the information. They make sure that you are ready to take the exam to get your license and if you don't feel that you are ready, they invite you back for additional instruction to get you ready. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a friend, or anyone for that matter, to get trained here. read more

Ken was a very knowledgeable and experienced teacher which translated into making the content of our course extremely understandable and easy to learn. He's very good at being a hands on teacher with the blood draws and showing us the best technique. read more

This academy let me face one of the ​fears of breaking into the skin and also have been a starting point in my medical career. This class is lots of fun if you are interested in anatomy and learning about the human's body. Ken who is the instructor there is very helpful. He will answer any questions you might have about anything. He is very patient and teaches you all the techniques to be a successful phlebotomist, and also follows up with you right after you finish the class to see when you are taking your National Exam, so he can go ahead and schedule your externship based on your schedule. In this class, you will learn how to draw blood correctly with a​​ different type of needles along with the protocols and the universal precautions and policies. You will also learn how to collect other specimen such as: Urine samples and Stool samples. Also, how to do a capillary/finger stick properly. This academy has different times for all students and Ken is there all day to answer any of your questions if you would like to come in earlier, he will work with you separately. Even if you need more practice on blood draws he will let you poke him! Classes are divided to mornings and evenings and also Sat classes. Each class is 4 hours long (Mon-Thurs). There are also Sat classes available for those who can't make it to the week classes. Altogether class size is small and Ken focuses on each student. He is very helpful and friendly. You won't regret taking this class! :) read more

Ken is awesome! His approach to teaching makes the material really easy to learn. He's also hilarious which relaxed everybody who was nervous about getting poked. I would definitely choose this class for your phlebotomy cert. read more

This class was great! The Curriculum was laid out so it builds upon the basics of phlebotomy. The teaching style is also very fun and interesting. What makes it fun is that you learn something, then you apply or use exactly what you just went over in that class. Overall a great program. The teacher is very patient. Especially with wanting people in the class to truly understand, and not be fearful of drawing blood from a fellow classmate. If unsure how to do something there is no issue with asking him for the help. You can truly see that he cares that he wants you to succeed within the world of phlebotomy. read more

Really glad I went here for training in phlebotomy. The instructor is extremely educated so you will learn A LOT of beneficial stuff. They really prepare you for exam, but also what happens after the exam. This academy really sets you up for success for a job in phlebotomy. I really enjoyed and if you are stuck between this academy or somewhere else I would definitely go here!! read more

This phlebotomy program was great! Ken is an awesome instructor, he is so knowledgeable about the field and is great about answering any questions you may have. He goes above and beyond in preparing you for the National exam, as I felt more than ready to pass it as soon as the class ended. You really learn all the best techniques in actually performing the skills, and after the first day of practicing on each other, all the nerves are gone! This is the best choice if you want to not only want to feel well prepared for the exam, and feel confident in your skills as a phlebotomist. It's a huge bonus that class is so much fun, I truly looked forward to going every day! read more

ken was a really great teacher. I learned so much in this class and was definitely prepared for the national exam. I highly recommend this class to anyone who is thinking about entering the medical field. read more