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

Any new Andrews graduates?? - anon

Posted: Mar 21, 2015

Just curious if there are any new Andrews graduates (in the last 30 days) that are having success finding a job? I am looking to start this program soon and do not want to jump from the frying pan into the fire, so to speak...been an MT for MANY, MANY years.... Are there jobs out there? How hard are they to find/get? What is general starting pay? Feeling anxious/nervous/excited....

not brand new--but a year ago - new coder

[ In Reply To ..]
It depends on where you live--look at how many jobs are posted, and be aware that if you can test well (on their test) that they often waive the job experience requirement. I can tell you that my office just hired a CPC-A and is training her and they are considering another 1 or 2 new hires depending on whether or not ICD-10 officially goes through (should know by the end of the month whether they will add on another delay with the bill like they did last year). Good luck! I am glad I took the plunge and got out of MT!!

Are there jobs out here? - Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
We have about 6 vacancies right now. They stay vacant because we get few applicants who are qualified, i.e., are CPC and or CCS certified.

So, yes, there ARE jobs. With the nationwide transition to ICD-10 coming up in October, there will be even more jobs because it takes more time to code using ICD-10, especially inpatient stays.

Are there jobs in your area? Possibly not if you live in the sticks, so if all you have is one teeny rural hospital within 100 miles, I would not count on finding a lot of jobs.

Coding is not like MT, where everyone in the country who works for an MTSO makes the same pay. Coding salaries are generally hourly, but may be production or production-bonused, and typically include good benefits. Both AHIMA and the AAPC conduct annual salary surveys, the results of which are published on their websites.

Someone who has just graduated within 30 days is probably still preparing for and taking certification exams. It also might be unreasonable to expect to be hired within 30 days. That might be the norm in fast turnover jobs like construction, waiting tables, and pole-dancing, but it is not the norm in hospital-based professions. It can take us up to 2 months to screen applications for interview. Interviews take a week. Background checks take a month. Actually offering the job takes a few more weeks.

There is a link to the AAPC salary survey in a post just below. You must not have seen it? Why not look for it now?

There are also a lot of success stories from Andrews grads below. Some of them are recent grads. Why not read what they already posted?

Thanks! - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
This information is very helpful. I will definitely check out the information you pointed to. We have 2 hospitals in my town that currently have openings for coders posted on their websites but I am also in a "multiple" college town...a large university as well as a technical college and several satellite locations for other colleges in our state....and several of them offer Medical Billing/coding courses/programs... I am hoping though to be able to find something when the time comes. Being an MT just isn't what it used to be and I cannot continue on!

You may find graduates of those colleges don't qualify for CCS - or are not able to pass tests

[ In Reply To ..]
You may still qualify to take the CCS exam when most of them either can't pass it or more likely don't qualify to sit for it. Most of the courses focus on other than actual coding.

true - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
True...that is what I am hoping for. I have heard positive things about Andrews preparing you for the certifications, so that is what I am hoping for!

Avoid tech colleges - jennie

[ In Reply To ..]
Very good advice for tech colleges! Research your accrediting bodies. I am going to school at an AHIMA certified school. Many hospitals require AHIMA. I work at one here locally, and the girls who went through a non-AHIMA course aren't being considered, and they have worked for the hospital for YEARS (like 10-20 or so). Where do you want to be able to work - office or hospital? That will help you narrow down who to go to. AHIMA and AAPC will have some good insight. Read their sites - dig into them, call them - they are there to help guide you.

How would you know they are not - being considered?

[ In Reply To ..]
How would you know that those who went through a non-AHIMA course "aren't being considered"? Did management give you inside information?

I would be interested to hear if you pass the CPC and CCS when you finish your course, and whether your employer gives you a job as a coder.

I think it is more accurate to say that hospitals may prefer AHIMA *credentials* because they actually do prefer the CCS over anything else, and few will care what school you attended once you have it. That is because you can no longer even take the exam if you have not completed the required coursework, which puts the school in the same ballpark as an AHIMA-accredited HIT program in terms of coding-related courses.

Interestingly, a school that has an AHIMA-approved coding program might not cover the material required for the CCS. Even AHIMA's own online program does not. Many colleges do not. That approval does not imply a good success rate, either.

Just to point out, AHIMA does not "certify" programs. They accredit college RHIT and RHIA programs and approve coding programs.

You are right that many hospitals require AHIMA credentials - but you are mistaken about the rest

[ In Reply To ..]
What you need if you want a job is a course that qualifies you to sit for both the CPC (outpatient clinics - not doctors' offices, because they rarely hire a coder) and CCS (inpatient).

If you read the web sites, you'll find that AHIMA-certified does not mean that graduates will be qualified to sit for the CCS exam. Many people misunderstand that. It's important to clear that up so more people don't get to the end of an AHIMA-certified course and find that they aren't allowed, or prepared, to take and pass the CCS exam.

In the case that someone isn't considered for a job because of their training, that isn't an issue if they took a course that qualified them and prepared them to sit for the CCS successfully.

Someone rightfully may not be considered if they took a course that didn't prepare them for the CCS, regardless of whether the course was certified, accredited, approved, or anything else.

Big difference between "billing" and coding - Avoid tech colleges

[ In Reply To ..]
Before you leap into a tech college program, do your homework. Most of them are diploma mills which exist to collect federal student loan funds from people who don't know any better. They have poor employment rates in any career field, leaving students stuck with worthless "educations", high debt, and no way to pay it off.

They typically teach billing, not actual coding, and offer pretend certifications from an organization set up for that purpose. Hospital employers do not recognize that. Their students are unlikely to pass an AAPC exam and ineligible for AHIMA.

Few colleges teach coding because few teach HIM. Coding is part of HIM. If your college does not have an AHIMA accredited HIM program, they are likely to be teaching coding with a canned program from a matchbox online school. And, of course, doing so to collect federal student loan money.

Just so you know. Not saying your colleges are not fabulous, but buyer beware applies here, too.

There is a local college teaching HIM and coding here. We have not hired a graduate from there in 7 or 8 years. Most of them HATE coding when they finish. There are also 4 or 5 tech colleges here. We don't even consider their students.

What we do consider is a coder who has a CPC and a CCS, and at that point we would not much care how they came by them.

Interesting, no?

Possible MT to Coder - Porcher

[ In Reply To ..]
Coder, I live in the sticks but there are a couple of hospitals nearby. A net search said the larger one has 247 beds, the smaller 114. I have been watching, and for a year, the larger one has had a job posting up for a coding specialist. The other hospital has started posting this as well. There are also many facilities around the larger hospital (like outpatient surgery, cardiology, etc). They are also adding onto that hospital constantly. I also found that there is an AAPC chapter in the larger town. Does this all sound like there could be the potential to get a job (with the CCS)? I have been interested in coding for quite a while, longer than I care to mention, but the talk of lack of job prospects kept me away. I have been an MT for 15 years, "hovered" on this coding forum for a long time researching but first time to post here. Thanks to anyone who responds.

Sounds Really Encouraging to Me - Not Her But Answering Anyway

[ In Reply To ..]
It sounds very encouraging. When you are ready to go to work, I wouldn't worry about whether they are currently posting a job announcement for coders. I would apply anyway. They may make a job for you or they may just assume nobody ever answers their ad and have given up. Apply anyway. It sounds like you have lots of opportunity there.

Your best options are to prepare for any possibility, which means outpatient or inpatient, by getting both CPC and CCS credentials.

Best of luck, skills, and training to you!

p.s. Don't skimp on the training. That makes the difference. The luck part doesn't work.

I appreciate that ray of hope..sm - Porcher

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you for the input and advice and for letting me know that my area could have the potential for coding jobs. I've been wondering about it for a while. I don't really know anyone who does coding, so I feel like I'm looking for a needle in a haystack just trying to get myself informed. That's why I value this site so much. Thanks again.

Sounds encouraging to me, too. - Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
That sounds good to me. I have two suggestions. First, attend a few AAPC meetings. You can be a guest for a few. Chat with coders and get to know some. They can give you a good view of the local job market.

Second, take a good course, even if you have to sell your furniture and wash cars to do it. Your best shot at a hospital is the CCS. Also, Andrews is having some success placing students in remote jobs.

Thank you for those suggestions-sm - Porcher

[ In Reply To ..]
I didn't realize that I could attend any of the AAPC meetings. I was definitely wondering about that already, so thanks for letting me know that. After much research and thought, I plan on taking the Andrews course. That is amazing how some of their grads can start out working at home. I would love to be able to work from home at the start, but, of course, I'll take anything I can to get my foot in the door for the experience, so it doesn't have to be in a hospital either. I'm working part-time right now, so I will be able to study more, and I'm hoping to get done sometime at least around, or not long after, the October transition. I was hopeful anyway. Thank you again and have a good day.

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