Key to success - sm Posted: Jul 8th, 2015 - 1:09 am In Reply to: Question for those who are attempting or who have gotten out of MT... - kl
Your post sums up the problem perfectly ... employers "really have no idea what we do." Of course they don't! That is true to some extent for every occupation.
It is true simply because the employer might not know what the job entails, but it is also true because people often say they are "an xyz" when they really aren't. They may think they are, but they might not be. For both reasons, you have to explain what your job entails AND why it enables you to fulfill the functions of the job they have.
Face it, MT looks like typing. You and I both know there is a lot more to it than that, but employers don't. Large employers need to see a description of the duties, responsibilities, and your knowledge, skills, and abilities. In addition, they want to see evidence of how that relates to the job they need you to do.
If you are getting interviews, you are doing well. I think you may get results if you change your approach. Search the archives for posts containing suggestions for resumes. We have posted lists of relevant skills.
Your 22 years in the business end of healthcare needs to be explained, and your 8 in MT needs to sound like a step up, or a lateral step for a darn good reason, or some kind of acceptable variant. It cannot sound like a step down.
I would call it medical record documentation specialist rather than MT or "medical language specialist." Describe it on your resume as preparing highly technical medical documentation for inclusion in electronic and traditional (paper) medical records as a permanent legal record of medical care provided in inpatient settings, including detailed descriptions of medical findings and opinions, surgical procedures performed, results of diagnostic testing, records of pharmaceuticals administered, and plans for future care. You write (or provide editorial services) highly accurate and technically correct documents following accepted standards for written English, technical medical language, and the content of medical records. Such documentation must meet the requirements of the formal record as defined by local facility policy, regulatory agencies, and may be used as evidence in a court of law. See the difference?
In one of your posts, in response to someone who said you were qualified for medical records, you said you had extensive billing experience and that "Most of the medical records jobs in this area pay little more than minimum wage and anything HIM requires at least an Associates Degree in IT, which I do not have." That is not correct. An associate's in HIM is in HIT, not IT, and it is not always required. Your background is already very close. What you have been doing IS already a subsection of medical records.
With your billing background, you might want to consider getting back into it or, better, getting into coding. You already understand what it is and what it is for. You can compete the AAPC CPC course in about 4 months, ESPECIALLY with your ability to understand the reports, the elements in them, and the details of surgical procedures. You are already more than halfway there.
There is a huge demand for coders right now with ICD-10 coming up on October 1 -- I am getting local job offers for CPCs almost every day. Your experience would be valued, both for the billing and the ability to read and understand medical documentation, especially operative reports. (I have had emails from surgical practices which can't find coders.) Most employers appreciate mature coders, too.
It is very normal to get some training during career changes. Coding is your best bet, but billing would be, too. Update your skills and make yourself appealing with a certification to show you are current in it. See the CPB from AAPC. You could review for that on your own.
Your billing experience is going to give you something close to the initial "experience" you need for many types of coding. If you take the AAPC CPC course, it qualifies as one year of the two required for full certification. If you do their virtual experience program, it qualifies for the other. You would then have the CPC, not CPC-A, and be in a very good position with that. In addition, your degree itself can be very relevant for a lot of coding jobs or if you decide to do some consulting.
Reply By Email Options
Complete Discussion Below: (  marks the location of current message within thread)
|
