A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

is there a test that I can take or quizzes that will see if I am made to be a medical coder - doozer

Posted: Jun 16, 2010

Dear Coders and students:

I want to know if there is a test that i can take or a quiz that I can take to see if medical coding is right for me. I know they have pre tests for medical transcription, but I would like to see if there is one I can take for medical coding. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.

Doozer

Medical Coder - TJ

[ In Reply To ..]
Same here. Did you find out anything?
I have to get out of transcription or go broke.

I have not found quizzes but this is what I have done - MTLC

[ In Reply To ..]
First, I read every single post on this forum, trying to get a "feel" for the industry.

I have also hunted down other forums for coders to see what they are saying. The best one I have found so far is the AAPC website forums. There is info on getting credentialed, the current market in coding and a bunch of coding subspecialty forums. Even though I don't understand everything, I am learning about the process of coding and it is helping me to decide.

At first I thought the only "real" coding was inpatient and that did not really appeal to me. But, I stand corrected!

I have not signed up for a course yet due to time/money constraints. But the research I did helped me to see that yes I do believe I would enjoy coding, maybe even more than I have enjoyed MT.

I used to think it had something to do with personality styles - Linda Andrews

[ In Reply To ..]
MTLC, it sounds like you have a good approach.

I've been trying to figure this out for years. I used to think that bankers and accountants would find coding appealing because they like more structure. Then again nurses do well in coding because they have working knowledge of the A&P, procedures, drugs, etc.

Finally I realized that I'm probably one of the most unstructured persons you'll ever meet and I love coding. It's like solving a problem where there is an answer and you have to find it. I'm not good at crossword puzzles or chess or even checkers, but I love the challenge of finding the right answer in coding. That's probably not the 'right' way to think about it, but that's the way I think about it.

My conclusion is that it really isn't so much of a personality style issue. What makes someone a good candidate to be a coder? I'm not really sure. We have a pre-enrollment exam that does a good job of sorting out potential medical transcriptionists and for years I've been trying to come up with one for coders, and I can't put it together. I'm not sure what to look for. I am reading this thread in hopes of getting some good clues from all of you.

Coding Traits - Coding Student

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm just getting started in my coding course, so I'm far from an expert on anything to do with coding. But, based on what I have learned so far, I think I can come up with a few traits that might be helpful for one to have if they want to be a coder. If you are an MT switching to coding, you probably already have all of these traits.

-A true love of learning! If you are one who does not enjoy learning on a daily basis, coding might not be for you. You will need to have a thirst for information about the human body and medicine. You'll also need to continually learn and keep up with changes in coding regulations.

-Ability to follow directions.

-Patience and persistence. You will need to be comfortable with research and able to be patient and keep looking when you think you have hit a dead end while coding a chart. It really is like being a detective and going on a search for the right answer. Rushing too quickly through work and/or guessing the correct answer really is not an option if you want to be a coder.

-Ability to work independently. From what I gather, coders mostly spend their days working alone and need to be able to stay on task and work independently without someone watching over them at all times.

As another student - See message - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree, although I wonder if the ability to follow directions should not be at the top of the list! I also agree that being able to work independently is key, and to anyone thinking of distance learning, do not even consider it unless you can work independently and have the self discipline to study at least a little every day. I have not reached my coding practicum yet, but what I do know of coding does remind me of detective work as you mentioned and being able to assemble pieces of a puzzle, in this case a patient's medical history.

Well said, both of you - Linda Andrews

[ In Reply To ..]
Coding does remind me of detective work. I've always thought that and I'm glad to hear both of you say that you think so too. You've given some good ideas for prerequisites. It isn't going to be easy to find a way to actually 'test' for those qualities, but I'll keep working on that.

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