ritah
Guest
Does anyone know of a business that will hire a medical coder CPC cert with no experience
i struggle with the same issue. i was the ONLY student in my coding program that graduated and sat for the exam the following month. both of my instructors warned me not to do it (even though i was a straight A student) and instead to work in the field for two years and THEN go for the cert. but i sat for the exam...finished early...and passed. i've maintained my credential for 8 years now and have been able to work as a coder for a grand total of ONE WEEK in that whole time. =( there is a prejudice in the industry when someone young comes in in the first place. add to it a credential that they haven't even obtained themselves... i never have a chance. everyone hires family and friends to work with them and it is worse than ever. if you don't know someone who knows someone, you really shouldn't bother applying, which is a total shame and a waste of talent. when i offer to intern or work for free, they assume i suck at coding. if i ask for what i know i am worth and they see no experience...they think i am arrogant. when i even leave it open to let them name their price per hour...they get suspicious. i can't win. while i was waiting to be taken seriously as a coder, i went to school for transcribing just to keep myself busy. that was a mistake because companies are sending most of their transcribing work overseas because they'll work for 4 cents a page versus 10 cents that americans ask for, etc. i just can't get anywhere. lol...i was going to go to school and finish my Bachelor of Science and go to medical school, but...hell. why bother. lol... i am good at what i do. better than a lot of people who have done it for decades. the ladies i DID get the privilege to work with for the week i did were very happy to see a person as young as i was so serious about the work who ate and breathed it like they did. i was auditing charts and i loved my job. i loved my boss, i loved my office mates and i have never been happy with a position since. frankly i am surprised that people are able to get folks to choose medical coding as a career field anymore with obamacare on the horizon anyhow.
I swore I wouldn't respond to any more of these kinds of posts, but I have to speak up as a coding manager with 20+ years experience. I'm going to take the time out of my day to give you my thoughts.
First, your instructors gave you solid advice which you failed to follow. You need experience first---any kind of experience to get your foot in the door. Then you can consider where you want to be and what you want to do, and sit for your exam. You didn't do that and now you're upset because you can't find work as a coder? If after 8 years you haven't been able to network in a way to introduce yourself to people in the industry, you're not trying hard enough. Do you attend local chapter meetings? Have you thought about taking a position in registration? HIM? Billing? Start anywhere and be the best you can be. People will notice.
I do not hire family and friends, nor do most successful managers. That's a potential disaster that I prefer to avoid, and you'd do well to avoid situations where families are all working together.
Nobody assumes you 'suck' at coding. They assume you have no experience and passing the exam doesn't in any way, shape or form make you an expert coder. I do hire new coders, young ones in fact, and have had excellent success. But besides being new, young and inexperienced, they're also coders with wonderful attitudes, an excellent work ethic, a desire to learn and without a chip on their shoulder. To me, that's more important.
By taking a job as a transcriptionist, you again demonstrated that you haven't done the research regarding the status of the healthcare industry. Transcription is a dead-end career due to the rapid deployment of the EHR. Research, research, research.
If people are telling you that you appear arrogant....well? Are they right? Leave the arrogance to the physicians. Managers like me want smart and confident coders, not inflated egos. If you show up at an interview with an attitude, managers are going to avoid you like the plague. There's enough going on without having to cater to drama-queens.
The ACA (nicknamed Obamacare by the right-wingers) has no bearing on your job situation; in fact, the ACA has actually opened up the coding industry in a number of very lucrative directions. And many people in the healthcare industry are supporters, so be careful not to bite the hand that feeds you. There are a lot of healthcare journals online, with great information. Read about the ACA, PQRS, RAC audits, Meaningful Use, ICD-10 implementation, Acountable Care Organizations. Familiarize youself with Chronic Care Management, Patient Centered Medical Homes and Pay for Performance. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then I've made my point already. At the very least, knowledge on all of these topics will help you in an interview.
Lastly, if you're a straight-A student, you ought to know that when you use "I" (as in first person), you capitalize it. If your resume has such errors, that may be your answer to your unemployment dilemma. Attention to detail is important in coding.
I hope things improve for those of you looking for work. There are jobs out there. I have two openings for per-diem CPC-As----but everyone wants full-time, full-benefits, 40K a year and to work from home. That is not where you start
Pam;
Thank you for this post!!! I see a lot of these types of posts and wonder if I am kidding myself to think I will find a job in this field. I have no experience but maintained a 3.7 GPA sat for the exam and am currently sending resumes gathering letters of recommendation from professors and networking. I've already been asked by various people in management positions to send my information even if they don't know if there is anything if you make a good impression people notice. More often than not I feel very positive as I see so many job postings in my area in billing and coding. I am not young as I am transitioning careers. Like you said I was hoping even if I get in under a different title I could work my way up. Keep posting to these threads because they really do matter. I am very confident and willing to do what it takes to break in but self doubt and negative thoughts can get the better of us. I appreciate your time and advice.
Patty T.