Pacific College of Health and Science — Local services in San Diego

I was a full-time Acupuncture student at Pacific College of Health and Science from 2019-2021. In August 2021, I submitted a religious exemption to the school for their COVID requirements on campus. I am a disabled veteran and their requirements were worsening one of my service-connected disabilities. When I submitted my exemption, officials informed me that they would not accept any religious or medical exemptions or provide, as required by law, accommodation for any exemptions. I was suspended a few days later after showing up at the school's community clinic for my own personal medical appointments to treat this service-connected condition, even after having my exemption accepted at the door and agreeing to noninvasive screening measures to clear me to be in the clinic without a mask. At the front desk, another staff member asked me to step aside and meet with the campus director in a private meeting room. In this room, with my husband present as a witness, I was harassed, scoffed at, threatened to have police called on me, and the staff refused to acknowledge or look at any of my paperwork or answer my questions. The campus director refused to allow me to attend my medical appointments, unlawfully terminated my patient-provider contract with the school, and told me that I could not attend my last class of the term later that week. She would not give me a reason for these decisions. That evening she left a voicemail on my phone and sent me an email informing me that I had been suspended and that if I wanted to return to the school I had to agree to sign paperwork to follow all of their COVID policies. I was also informed that if I wanted to receive credit for my last class I had to write a paper on which she would set the parameters. None of this made any sense to me and didn't match the school's own policies regarding disciplinary measures. The campus director seemed to be making up her own rules and parameters with me. I filed a grievance with the school's grievance committee against the school president, campus director, and other staff who were involved in denying accomodation for exemptions, and for the harassment and retaliation that I experienced on the day of my appointments. Unfortunately, my grievance was severely mishandled from the start. Typically, a grievance is first viewed and handled by the campus director, unless the grievance is against the campus director. Even though this campus director was listed on my grievance, she went against the school's policy and responded that she had received my grievance and would look into it. Next, she decided to retire early a few weeks later without passing my grievance on to appropriate officials. After continuously reaching out to the next two new campus directors and 5 months later, the grievance committee finally looked at my complaint and did nothing to correct or change the original campus director's decisions. I received an F for the class I had been instructed not to attend, and my VA education benefits at the school were stopped and my case was closed. To this day the school continues to operate unlawfully and deny accommodation for exemptions while also creating a hostile environment. This was especially highlighted a few weeks after my suspension when a petition was started by other students in support of bodily sovereignty for students, faculty, staff, and patients at the school. The petition garnered over 500 signatures and was posted to the school's Facebook page (PCHS Peeps). Many students, and some teachers, left very angry, hateful, and discriminatory comments under the petition. The faculty members and staff who were involved in denying exemptions and the harassment and retaliation that I experienced have since been promoted within the organization. After the grievance committee closed my report, I sent a conditional acceptance letter to top school officials via certified mail with a request for a written response within 10 business days. They received my letter but have failed to respond in writing...

This is a great school. I would definitely recommend this college to anybody wanting to learn about Chinese medicine as well as massage and acupuncture techniques. School feels very complete and the staff is very knowledgeable. It's exciting to work with such professional teachers and to learn so much that's such an accelerated rate. I personally am very excited to attend this school and would recommend it to anybody that is looking to become certified and massage or acupuncture and so much more. The facilities are generally pretty clean and well-kept as well as stocked pretty well. The library is full of so much material that you can't really find anywhere else. Student alumni have a lot of ability for employment as well as Clinic hours. I've noticed that a lot of our teachers are former students themselves and I think that says a lot about the school. The dean is a very Hands-On open door policy type of professional. And the students are really wonderful people and it has been a pleasure to work with such ambitious people. They do also have a bookstore and a small Cafe where you can get all of your reading material as well as a bite to eat. They are very covid compliant even post-plandemic. And I think it's really amazing how they have set the school up so that many different medical facilities are represented on campus. I'm very excited to continue my education here as well as very grateful for this opportunity. One last note I am a disabled veteran and they do accept GI Bill as well as vocational rehabilitation chapter 2930...

I attended those school for 2 years and although it is a very good school it has its flaws. First, if you decide to come here make sure that all of your general classes are complete. If not you will spend a great deal of unnecessary money. People this is a school/business, the school will come across as if they will understand life and what comes with it, then they will cut you off without regard. For example: the school made a financial mistake and because I received the money it is my obligation to repay the money. That part of it is OK, I'll pay what I owe, the problem is; I graduated from the massage program and the school failed to send my paper work to the California Massage Board. This was almost 8 months before the balance was due, now that I've graduated and completed the necessary steps to further my career the school is holding my transcripts for a balance that is less than 2 months old. This means that there was a 6 months gap between completing the program and the school sending my transcripts. The school has yet to send my transcripts. Now it is difficult for me right now to get caught up and pay the necessary balance to get my transcripts for something that the school neglected to do from the very beginning. This is a very frustrating process for me and down right unfair. Like I said it's a good school because of the people you will meet in your journey, yet the business side of the...