A lady applied for a job with us who had taken such a course.  She came in the door believing she was entering a prestigious, well-paying field.  When she found that you stood on your feet and lifted heavy books most of the day in dusty courthouses; and that most searches didn't just "fall into place" like the courses taught, she was out the door and looking for another career.  Obvioiusly, some things are improving with the introduction of computers and online resources, but the abstractor still must understand what they read and know what to look for and where to look and what to report.  There's no substitute for on-the-job training and a mentor.  After 20+ years, I still hit unique situations and the only sure things is that there is no "one size fits all" plan for title searching.