Wiki Advice on how to use my CPC Certification

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wbrodsky

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Hello All,

I recently passed my CPC Exam. Now it's time to look for work. I spent all this time in school and worked hard to pass this exam the first time. I chose this field because I enjoy it very much and I'm good at it.

I am encountering something I wasn't expecting and I am starting to feel I wasted my time in getting this certification. Almost every job out there for Medical Coding requires not only the CPC Certification but also requires 1-3 years of coding experience.

How in the world are you to get the 1 year experience if every job out there requires it? I read on the Boards that AAPC offers Practicode to give you the 1 year experience but right now I am unemployed and cannot afford the $300 for the Practicode.

I really don't want to go back to waiting tables. I spent so much time in school and all this time and money have drained my account and I cannot afford any more training. I need to find work ASAP or I will end up homeless.

Does anyone have ANY advice on where to look (in NJ/PA) or how to apply for a job as a Coder without the 1-3 years experience? I have 3 years experience in Medical Billing, but not coding. I am starting to lose hope and I am about to go back to working in a job that I don't want and where I will be unhappy. Please help me avoid this!!

Thanks, everyone.
 
Unfortunately that's the hang up about having your CPC before having actual work experience, I almost feel like you need to go into the field first get your experience and THEN get your certification. You may have to just start off entry level because these dr's are all about that dollar, most companys don't want to take the chance of loosing too much money training some one as far as getting too many rejected claims and so forth. You may also want to consider volunteering as a coder. So if you can find somewhere just to get your foot in the door and after that you can use your talents to get you further. But this is what I have been hearing a lot from certified coders that don't have the experience, but never give up hope. Because someone gave me a chance and I knew NOTHING lol. Some one is going to give you a chance just don't give up! Hope this helps
 
Talk with your instructors. They should have contacts in the area. Often a practice manager will search for a new employee by calling the coding instructors and asking about their students. Your instructor may recommend you to the employer.
 
I take it you are a CPC-A....there are employers that hire apprentices. Check out indeed.com and do a search of "CPC-A" in your state.
And yes networking is important! Do you have a LinkedIn profile? If not I suggest you create one soon! Fabulous connections and recruiters contact me daily.
I wish you the best!

Teresa
 
Does anyone know if they ever hire part time apprentices? I have been offered a couple of interviews for full time postions but I am finding it hard to find any part time positions available.
 
In my experience of job hunting I would advise to apply anyway. Sometimes they just put down that "requirement" to limit the application pool but they are willing to bend it for the right candidate. Also if the organization has other positions available that you would be a better fit for they might bring you in for interview for that position in mind. This has happened to me several times. Don't get discouraged when I relocated it took me 8 months to find a job in my new locale. Use every resource out there Monster, career builder, linked in, and there's a bunch more websites that employers use. Don't discount the local newspaper either. Attend you local AAPC meeting and network, network, network.
 
There are many good suggestions posted. I would recommend looking for an externship site so you can gain some experience coding. Check out Project Xtern on the AAPC website. There are several in the NJ/ PA area. https://www.aapc.com/medical-coding-jobs/project-xtern/locate-xtern-site.aspx
Network with your local chapters in your area. Consider getting a job in a medical billing office to get some experience. It is risky but no risk – no reward.
 
Project Xtern is a joke in my opinion. All the company wants is free labor. It is more beneficial to them than it is to you. If you want to work for a company for free for an entire year to drop your "A" then this program is perfect for you. They get incentives by participating. I have been doing project Xtern for 2 months and have not even touched any coding. Such a joke!!!
 
I am almost finished with my coding program from a very good school. I have good grades in all of the classes, including anatomy, and terminology. My coding classes have been challenging and comprehensive. As I consider my next step in certification I cant help but to wonder if the certification is any value. It seems to me that a certification demonstrates that you know something. The learning curve on the job will be faster. Your certification should be worth at least entry level ability.

Robert S.
 
@cmotard I understand how you feel, I did an externship though the school I went through for coding and I didn't do any coding. they had us doing collections for their clients for most of the time.
 
I wonder about some of these schools sometimes. My instructor drilled into our heads not to expect to graduate and get a coding job right away, to take any entry level position just to get your foot in the door. I got lucky, I got hired by the company where I did my externship for data entry, 9 months later a coder left so I got that job. A lot of the people I graduated with have taken jobs as receptionists or data entry and then gotten coding jobs.
 
After graduating, I was extremely frustrated by the gap between education/credentials and the experience required for coding jobs. It's hard, to look at your student debt and consider the possibility that you will be working a low-pay position or even a free internship after putting in so much effort and money.

Three years after graduation, I'm finally in a position where my job title reflects my credentials and education. My path went like this:

I networked a little and found out the largest of our local hospitals hired temps heavily from one particular agency. Needing work of any kind, I applied at the temp agency. They were able to place me very quickly, but it wasn't at the hospital I was aiming for. Instead, it was a company that provided medical equipment. Full time, but rather than coding I would be answering phones and doing intake and order processing.

Not quite what I wanted, but it was a job, and when they offered to hire me on permanently, I accepted. In the end, I learned A LOT; processing the orders involved a lot of abstracting from physician documentation and selecting appropriate diagnoses, not to mention the HCPCS codes for the equipment. I can honestly say I would not be where I am now if not for that experience. However, a year after being hired, I was ready to move on and applied for coding specialist positions.

Currently, I'm working in Home Health, which has some characteristics in common with DME, but I'm doing diagnosis coding using ICD-9 (and ICD-10 in a few months). I've had to learn new things for this position, too, since it involves coding from the OASIS data set, but so far I love it. There really is a gap between what you learn in the classroom and how it feels to code on the job. I can see why so much experience is desirable, but that doesn't make bridging the gap easier for new coders.

Based on my experience, I would say it's effective to swallow your pride, take an entry-level job, learn what you can, network, and keep applying for coding jobs relentlessly until something breaks in your favor. It's not necessarily fair that it's hard to break into the field, but it is what it is, and you can get around the roadblocks with enough time and stubbornness.
 
Cpc

Don't give up. Keep applying, even if they ask for experience. Some may train you, they want things done their way. Apply everywhere, do not just limit yourself. There are alot of medical clinics, physician offices, hospitals, ASC, dialysis facilities out there.
Good luck to you :)
 
I too am experiencing these same issues but I am not certified yet. I have two years from taking AAPC course and the practicode. Set to take exam in June. Advice given to me :
Take a front office or collections position to get foot in the door and gain experience time in the field. Also being in a medical office you have better chance on hearing about job openings and getting referrals.
 
cpc certification and experience

I agree that the certification will at least show that you have the basic knowledge and follow through. It shows you've put valuable time into this career. However I also find it discouraging that even a level 1 position requires an unrealistic amount of time in the field. If you have a certification and 2years of education and on top of that field experience why would you be a level I coder? It should be one or the other.
 
Thank you for the post. I was actually thinking about going the "temp" route as well. It seems to make a lot of sense. Your post has given me renewed hope!! Thanks again!
 
Oh, I can SOOO relate to all...I have been certified for almost 2 years now. I left my previous job to go back to school and get my certification, sometimes I really have to wonder if that was the right decision...I have tried to apply for ANY clerical position at this point, and like someone mentioned, I cannot afford to take the practicum to get rid of the A. I have had three interviews which seemed promising, but they say I have no experience, don"t we have to start somewhere?
 
Project Xtern not a Joke...

cmotard said:
Project Xtern is a joke in my opinion. All the company wants is free labor. It is more beneficial to them than it is to you. If you want to work for a company for free for an entire year to drop your "A" then this program is perfect for you. They get incentives by participating. I have been doing project Xtern for 2 months and have not even touched any coding. Such a joke!!!
Click to expand...

I disagree...it is beneficial to both sides. CPC-A has time to remove the A and gets experience. My company was able to hire five of the externs who put in their time. it is true they worked for free for 3 or more months but when a position opened up I was able to hire them. Some are even working remotely now. ALL of them were very thankful as we were appreciative for their time.

Getting experience and YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR is this not a coders goal.

project xtern is a great program and I am sorry that you feel you had a bad experience.
 
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