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

Career coding step grads?? - anon

Posted: Apr 21, 2015

Any Career Step grads on here who were able to get a good paying REMOTE job right after finishing the course? How long did it take you? I know they only get you ready for the CPC and CCA (versus CCS).....and how soon after finishing were you able to sit for and pass the CCS?

Guaranteed employment? - Mino

[ In Reply To ..]
They advertise that there is a company they have an agreement with that hires Career Step graduates for coding jobs. What are the details on these jobs?

A 'guaranteed' job is a danger sign wherever you see it - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
A good solid program doesn't need to guarantee that they will get a job for you. Your training will do that. Most guaranteed jobs are arrangements with companies that you wouldn't have chosen to work for otherwise because no company can hire that many graduates of any school and keep them. They might take them on for a short period of time and then let them go, but common sense tells you that no company can hire indefinitely all the graduates or even just some. That just isn't reasonable.

It is not "guaranteed" employment! - Do not fall for that

[ In Reply To ..]
It is not guaranteed employment. It is a remotely possible internship with the even more remotely possibility of employment at an unknown rate of pay IF they have a job and IF they didn't hate you, but it is limited to ... someone from there said ... only 10 individuals. You still have to pass the company's tests and applications, which won't be easy if you didn't learn much to begin with.

Even getting through the course is not guaranteed.

Career Step - Do something else

[ In Reply To ..]
Very few people go directly into remote coding jobs; those companies want people with experience and who have more than one credential, plan on working on site for your first job. Knowing Career Step's curriculum, you will not be able to pass the CCS unless you take other courses or get some work experience, I found their program lacking in many ways. For one, the anatomy module does not teach to the level that you are going to need for inpatient coding. If you want a CPC certification, I would suggest the AAPC course. No school can offer guaranteed employment unless they have contracts with employers to place X amount of students, wouldn't you prefer to choose where you want to work?

Remote job - AC

[ In Reply To ..]
IOD is the company and they have hired 28 people just in 2 months, so its a bit more than just 10 people. Every 2 months they will recruit more people so, there's a chance you could just move on to them after training, get additional training with them to prepare you for the CCS, which per their words their training does prepare you. If not, you could always get additional schooling to sit for the CCS, for about the same time and money as Andrews. I figure with the added benefit of having that job prospect Career Step was my best choice.

But you cannot take the CCS for 2 years then. - ???

[ In Reply To ..]
Seems like a risky waste of money to me. You could have been making better money for the two years--Andrews grads have never had trouble getting jobs, nor do they have to settle for internships and employer training. You will be behind that much money your entire career.

Also, there is almost no way to get inpatient training alone, except a boot camp or the new AAPC course. Neither is all that great. The cost of those, plus the cost of Career Step, comes out to roughly Andrews.

It is Dollar-Store thinking. In other words, false economy.

IOD - Good luck

[ In Reply To ..]
If you want to work for IOD then I guess you have made the right choice. How many interns actually get hired? Their minimum requirements for coding consultants include 3 years of work experience, a CCS and/or RHIT and a bachelors degree. It looks as if they hire for other HIM positions as well, so you might get hired by them doing something else. They may have accepted 28 interns but I doubt they have placed 28 new inexperienced coders in jobs. Career Step, or any school, cannot guarantee job placement. Think of the wasted time if you do the internship and then don't get hired. I went through the Career Step coding program so I know what they offer; I left feeling that I needed more education. There are other choices, but it's up to you.

There are several even more important questions - More questions than answers

[ In Reply To ..]
This is so questionable. How many are chosen, is it worth being chosen for, how long is a person actually kept or are there excuses why people are gotten rid of, and who is going to want to hire you after they get rid of you?

I know... - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
When I talked to the CS advisor they told me that in January 500 people applied for 8 positions that IOD had open, of the 8 hired only 3 were Career Step grads....now there are going to be more positions opening up in the coming months (according to said advisor) but that minimal of a chance in landing an internship is just too chance-y for me. I have already been an MT for years and changing careers is scary enough without worrying I might not have a good enough education to get a job right out of school. I would rather pay a little more for another course that actually has me ready to get the CPC and CCS (not a non-relevant CCA)

Not to mention ... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Not to mention a course that offers highly qualified instructors, top of the line textbooks, continual assessment, thorough coverage of the material required for the AHIMA exams including the CCS, and that does not subject you to extracting information from online screens.

That last bit about the online screens is a deal-breaker for me. Not how I care to learn.

You should be able to pass the CPC before you finish the course, too. That is a help.

If they don't keep an intern other employers are not going to want them either - First question employer wil ask

[ In Reply To ..]
The way these things work is this. Nobody can hire indefinitely without letting other people go. If you happen to be let go, any other employer is going to assume that if the internship didn't want you, you must not have been very good. So you are going to be stuck with that one option and just hope really hard that you will be one of the few it works out for. If not, you are out of luck with no CCS credential to make your case for you.

Similar Messages:

Mar 01, 2011

1. How long did it take you to complete the course? 2. Were you able to pass the certification exam? 3. Are you working as a coder? 4. Overall opinion on the career step coding course? Any info would be greatly appreciated. TIA ...

Jan 17, 2015

feel you were adequately trained. How long did it take to complete? Any information would be appreciated. ...

Apr 29, 2010

What is your experience with either of these schools in terms of relevance, quality of instruction, materials used, preparation for exam and coding on-the-job, responsiveness of the school? I'm considering both and would really appreciate your thoughts. Thank you! ...

Mar 05, 2012

Anyone have problems passing Career Step MT testing. ...

Nov 01, 2012

Hello. I was just wondering if anyone has experience with the above mentioned book? I was planning on getting the work book as well. I also wanted to know what other books I would need. I was going to get the 2013 addition for all books needed. I don't have the money to take a full course right now, but I would like to "get my feet wet" and see if this is the right field for me. Thanks. ...

May 12, 2010

wonder if anyone here, or if anyone knows of anyone who utilized Career Step for either their MT program or their coding program ...

Sep 13, 2010

Hi, I haven't enrolled yet, but I've pretty much decided on Career Step (mostly because of price!). I was wondering if anyone has any input as to whether it's better to take the MT course or the MTE course. Do you need the extra editing experience? I'm sure any extra is helpful, but is it necessary to have the editing training to get an MT job with an online company? Thanks in advance for any info! ...

Mar 04, 2011

Does anyone know if in-state tuition for career step is $350??? That's what they told me. ...

Jan 26, 2010

I am just curious if anyone knows good or bad about Career Step Medical Transcription and Medical Billing/Coding online courses. I would appreciate any opinoins about this particular online school. Thank you. ...

Feb 03, 2010

I was curious to hear if anybody failed the second part of the final? I got a 13% on the second part only because I was having serious trouble hearing the doctor clearly. I took that final last June, and I am wanting to take the final again in May. I am worried that I am going to come across the same problem even after practicing for so many months and getting helpful tips from the Career Step final. I am currently working part-time typing overflow reports and I am doing rather well with that. S ...

Apr 28, 2010

Fancy that! ...

May 11, 2010

I am going to enroll in Career step tomorow. I looked into Andrews, but if I had the 1000 to put down I would not be looking for a new career. LOL. Wish me luck! ...

May 29, 2010

I'm very disappointed regarding this medical editing course being offered by Career Step. In my opinion it's a terrible way to take advantage of newbies who are worried about the job market and willing to pay anything to upgrade their skills, when every employer I've ever heard of trains their MTs on VR. I can't imagine an employer requesting a course in medical editing in addition to the standard MT course. I myself am a Career Step grad, have been gai ...

Jun 09, 2010

Do you know if it is possible to take career step courses for coding and still collect unemployment. I do not qualify for the displaced worker program and they will not let me keep my benifits if I chose to go to a regular community college. I have no idea how the reporting is done, but I would really like to get into coding (currently an MT). I have enough in savings to pay for the course, and I am pretty sure I could get it over with fairly quicly, but I don't want to push myself to work ...

Oct 15, 2010

I am trying to decide which school to go with. I have read good and bad about both Career Step and TRS - does anyone have any additional considerations for me before I make my decision? Thanks! ...

Nov 05, 2010

I am very interested in a coding career. I have been doing medical transcription for the past 10 years and am tired of chasing after the money. I need stability. Coding has always seemed like a very interesting job. I want to choose a course that is the most detailed so that I have the best chance of passing the certification test(s) and be able to land a job. Can anyone advise on a great online medical coding course? Thanks guys!!!! ...

Jan 26, 2011

Hi everyone, I have been looking at both Andrews and Career Steps programs for coding. I am leaning more towards Andrews, but I am worried about the amount of writing assignments you have to do. Are these long assignments? What type of stuff do you have to write about for a coding course (without giving away too much info)? Career Step is completely online, and for some reason that just does not seem like the best way to go. I feel that you really do need hands on kind of work, and I don' ...

Jul 25, 2011

I don't know how it will work as far as "enrollment" actually goes, but I'm really looking to do more of a self-taught kind of thing anyway. I know that access to instructors is important, and I have already arranged for that through my local college. Worst case scenario, I'm out $25.. but for that price, I couldn't pass it up!! Thoughts? ...

Aug 25, 2011

I'm currently enrolled @ Career Step and stumbled across this forum tonight. This is the first time I've heard about this SUM program. Should I be nervous that Career Step doesn't use this program? I admit, I did not have the money for Andrews or M-tec and thought the AHDI certification was the important thing. Now I'm not so sure. Will I be passed over by recruiting agents without this knowledge? Thanks ...

Oct 10, 2011

What is the difference besides price on these two schools? Do companies hire based mostly on what school you graduate from or by how well you test? Does one school really prepare you better than the other, or are you paying for the name? ...

Jan 16, 2012

Okay, I know Andrews is the best, but has anyone taken Career Step and had any sucess? It is an approved school on the AHIMA web site, but I don't ever hear anyone say anything about going through them for coding. If anyone has, I would like to know if you were able to pass the CCS after completing the course? My parents want to help me pay for school, and I hate for them to think I went and found the most expensive one out there; although, I know it is the best. I just wondered abo ...

Apr 20, 2013

I am trying to decide between Andrews and Career Step for billing and coding. The only question I have left is how the learning is done. It looks like Career Step is study on your own. at your own pace. I can't find anything one way or the other on the Andrews site - are there interactive online classes or is it study on your own and then test? Also, Career Step says the tuition includes Complete set of industry codebooks (ICD-9-CM, CPT, HCPCS). Andrews ju ...

May 04, 2013

I have narrowed my choices down to Career Step or Andrews for coding. I know that Andrews provides all the necessary textbooks, but I cannot get a clear answer as to which textbooks actually are included with the Career Step program. Are there any current or former students of the Career Step coding program who would be willing to tell me which textbooks they received? Thanks much! ...

Jan 30, 2015

I have to be honest. I truly felt that Career Step's training was thorough and prepared me well for a career as an MT. I had an extensive background in terminology, but the transcribing was new for me. Nonetheless, I completed all transcription modules with over 98% accuracy. I can type over 100 WPM. So, when it came time to take the final, I felt confident. I mean, I passed the multiple choice questions with flying colors and only got one wrong. But, apparently, I did so poorly on the tr ...

Apr 17, 2015

Can anyone tell me the difference in the 2 programs? Will someone come out of CS ready to sit for the CCS/CPC? I know/hear on here that Andrews has the best, most comprehensive program but Career Step has a job placement program after graduation ...granted it is low-paying, but it is more like an internship for 13 weeks. After that you can get hired for $15-$17/hour or more.... However their program is almost half what Andrews is.... I just am trying to make the best decision for myself. I am re ...

Feb 03, 2015

Okay, I wrote the previous post, but I have a few more questions. Any help is appreciated. How much does the coding program cost? How long did it take you to complete, full-time or part-time? Did you feel job-ready when you finished the course? Are there any hidden fees for exams, etc.? If you went the Andrews for MT as well, how would you compare the intensity of the two courses? I did attend Andrews for medical transcription 8 years ago, and I loved the program then. That is why ...

Feb 26, 2010

I am looking to get some opinions on Career Step's MT program. Has anybody been able to find a job after completion? Any information would be greatly appreciated! ...

May 09, 2010

If anyone has taken Career Step, do you feel you are being challenged and that it is worth the money? Do they have payment plans? ...

May 25, 2010

Has anyone taken this course to learn speech editing? Is it worth the $? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks! ...

Apr 17, 2012

Hello. My wife just finised the Career Step course in March. She is already employed and doing great. My question is in regards to any 2011 tax credits/breaks we can claim as she studied full time at this program. Can we claim that she was a full time student for at least 5 months? Any thoughts? Have a great day... Jeff ...