UMA has the absolute worst working environment I have ever seen. I was there for 4 years ( Career Services ) and hated every minute of it. When I was able to secure a better job elsewhere, I left, on my own terms. I actually took a 2 dollar pay cut and it was the best decision of my adult life.
UMA = Micro management at its finest. The even have an acronym employees use for UMA ( Ultimately Moving Around ). They will herd you like cattle in the guise of "Huddles or "Hard Hat Huddles". really "pep rally style" meetings very reminiscent of Jim Jones and the peoples temple of Jonestown with people singing, dancing, chanting, all the while praising top performers, UMA, and its values. Managers force you to participate in these huddles ( up to 5 per day ) whether you like it or not.
You are monitored , tracked, and hounded for numbers from the second you clock in , to the time you clock out. Managers walk the floor looking over your shoulder with a laptop, brow beating for dials, interviews, hires, and placements. It's Non-stop.
UMA uses a point system for tardiness and absences, keep in mind they do not offer sick days like most reputable companies. Only paid time off or unpaid time off. If you accumulate a certain amount of points within a month you get verbal, written, and final warnings all leading to eventual termination. You also can get points added to your file if you are late coming back from 15 min breaks, and your 1hr lunch break.
UMA's directives, quotas, and policies change by the minute. Middle management are clueless and un-qualified to hold any position in higher education let alone management positions. My last Director worked at Aarons rent to own before getting hired as a manager at Ultimate Medical Academy. Go figure.
UMA also adheres to a high turnover policy. I have seen hundreds fired during my 4 yrs. there. Most employees either quit or resign soon after completing training. You are required to hit quotas of 3 to 5 graduate job placements a month. If you consistently hit your monthly quota, they will increase the amount you are required to achieve or put you in un-workable territories to see what they can squeeze out of you. If the well runs dry and you miss your quota 3 months in a row, you are up for termination. There is no job security whatsoever. Even Managers and top performers worry about their jobs.
A typical worked day involves music blaring in the background, people screaming at the top of their lungs, chanting, rapping, singing songs all while you are on the phone with a Doctor or Medical Office Manager trying to secure a job interviews/Hires for UMA's un-qualified and under trained graduates. I cant tell you how many times Decision makers I had on the phone would say "What is all that noise in the background???" we would be advised to tell them we celebrate our grads getting hired but ,the response from employers would be usually negative. Very un-professional work environment.
I also witnessed a disturbing trend where upper management at UMA would promote people to Mid level management positions, only for them to be demoted after a year or so and put back on the phones as regular reps.
In conclusion, I would highly recommend NOT working for Ultimate Medical Academy. It truly was, "The most draining, mentally exhausting, and flat out worst job I've ever had.
