I just dropped out near the finish line - Still cranky, still on the beach Posted: Oct 29th, 2015 - 10:56 am In Reply to: Anyone looked into becoming a CTR? - ?
After 2 years of (online) school, I was nearly halfway through the offsite portion of the practicum when I realized (a) it just was NOT getting any easier, (b) I was NOT retaining enough of the myriad of details required to properly code cases, and (c) I really didn't like it. I had a conversation via email with my instructor, and she said in order to finish the course, finish the practicum, and then study for and sit the CTR exam, one has to really, REALLY love it, and since I didn't, there was no sense in torturing myself to try to finish, and I should not consider myself a quitter for bailing out of something that was making me so miserable.
I have always been very good at details. I've been a transcriptionist for decades, and I am also a recovering biller. I spent over 25 years in medical oncology doing those two jobs, so cancer registry seemed like a natural next step. But my extreme level of detail orientation just wasn't enough for what is required in cancer registry. Just one example: I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I stumbled across a list of "ambiguous terminology" for use in determining when a medical professional first declares that a patient has cancer, in order to arrive at the date of diagnosis. And then I found out that each body system has a different list of ambiguous terminology, such that "suspicious for" might constitute a diagnosis for one kind of cancer, but not for another.
As for the job market... it's that old catch-22 we all faced when we were brand-new to the workforce. Every employer demanded experience, it seemed, and nobody was willing to give newbies experience. Now, they're screaming for new cancer registrars, but the few job openings there are mostly require from 2 to 5 years of experience, and a CTR or CTR eligibility. CTR eligibility is attained only by completing one of the only 6 accredited study programs in the country. The program is either an AA degree or a 2-year certificate.
During the course we saw a couple of posted announcements for job openings where they were willing to take on newbies. Either of those would have required relocation. There were rumors that for some jobs, one could train on-site and then go back home and work remotely. Y'all can guess what kind of a red flag THAT raised in my lost-my-MT-job-to-offshoring brain............ If the job can be done remotely, how long will it be before they figure out a way to send it offshore?
The final straw for me was when the thought crept into my brain that I could always go back to billing. Now, about 8 years ago I was so burnt out on billing, I always swore I'd clean filthy toilets with my bare hands before I'd go back to the reimbursement end of medicine. So when billing was sounding a whole lot better to me than cancer registry, I knew it was time to get out.
If anyone reading this is still truly interested in the field and would like to know more about the required course of study, feel free to email me. Cancer registry isn't for me, but your mileage may vary.
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