# If I can't secure a coding job, what other medical jobs will give experience I need?



## atmosphere13 (Apr 4, 2013)

Hello!
      I am in need of advice! My current situation is that I am a stay-at-home Mom with two little girls in school and one little 16 month old boy still at home with me full time. I need to be home with him and avaliable to my girls while their father is at work. This limits my availability to work a normal Monday through Friday, 8-5 shift to gain experience in medical coding. I understand that most employers will not allow an inexperienced coder to work from home. And most inexperienced coders need to work a normal day shift with their trainers and supervisors in order to learn the ropes of medical coding. This leaves me with little options to gain the experience I need to remove my apprentinship status. I am curious to see if there are other ways to gain experience for medical coding that I could work into my restricting schedule. I am only avaliable to work evenings or weekends. I have no problems working a basic clerical or administrative position to get my foot in the door to get some experience working with records and medical computer programs. Any advice would help tremendously!! Thank you!

Amanda, San Antonio, Texas


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## aaw1083 (Apr 4, 2013)

atmosphere13@hotmail.com said:


> Hello!
> I am in need of advice! My current situation is that I am a stay-at-home Mom with two little girls in school and one little 16 month old boy still at home with me full time. I need to be home with him and avaliable to my girls while their father is at work. This limits my availability to work a normal Monday through Friday, 8-5 shift to gain experience in medical coding. I understand that most employers will not allow an inexperienced coder to work from home. And most inexperienced coders need to work a normal day shift with their trainers and supervisors in order to learn the ropes of medical coding. This leaves me with little options to gain the experience I need to remove my apprentinship status. I am curious to see if there are other ways to gain experience for medical coding that I could work into my restricting schedule. I am only avaliable to work evenings or weekends. I have no problems working a basic clerical or administrative position to get my foot in the door to get some experience working with records and medical computer programs. Any advice would help tremendously!! Thank you!
> 
> Amanda, San Antonio, Texas



I think its easiest to get experience when you are already working in the healthcare field, because most companies that need coders are going to usually hire from within. As the company i work for a very large medical group actually created a reimbursment program for employees to go to school for coding because they needed coders. And after you pass you get reimbursed and start an internship in the department. So starting with no connections will be kind of hard because of the chicken or the egg scenario, companies want experience but u cant get experience unless they hire you.

It would be good to network in a local chapter find places that may let you intern on the weekends


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## MnTwins29 (Apr 4, 2013)

Some hospitals have their HIM departments open 24/7 and if one near you has that, you could try to work in the file room, record processing, or something similar.   That department would be an excellent way to get experience in healthcare and since many HIM departments also have the coders, you could talk to them (if you are on the same shift as any of them) and learn that way as well.   Show enough initiative and that could lead to something good!

Good luck to you!


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## atmosphere13 (Apr 6, 2013)

*Thank you!!*

I really appreciate the time taken to give me such great advice. I most definetly need any advice I can get and this will definetly help! Thank you!!


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