Hi Karen,
I completed a medical coding program from a local community college. The classes had a lot of different topics including medical coding, medical billing, medical law and ethics, anatomy and physiology, disease processes, pharmacology, medical terminology and diversity and healthcare. The classes I have found most useful in my career as a coder have been the medical terminology classes, the anatomy and physiology classes, and the medical billing and coding classes.
I preferred to take classes in person when available, as it gives you opportunities to network that you may not have with online only classes. I found the CPC certification much more valuable than the coding certificate I received from the school in landing interviews, but often time college programs will have internships as a capstone that will offer invaluable experience and connections to people working in the field.
Unfortunately, landing that first coding job is not a guarantee after getting certified. Often times you will need to get your foot in the door in an ancillary position in billing or medical records, or even the front desk, and then express your desire to move into a coding position. I would recommend creating a LinkedIn profile as soon as you are certified, and approaching local staffing agencies to help you in your search.
Best wishes,
Drew Vinson
CPC
NW Urology