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

Do you think there is any benefit to - SK

Posted: Sep 04, 2012

studying for a "Certificate in Electronic Medical Records?" I'm not sure coding is for me; it sounds like accounting, not my strong suit. Am having to switch gears from MT to something else soon. Thanks.

I can give you my personal opinion - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I think that "certificate in Electronic Medical Records' is the new trend. Government money is available, so people are swarming into it only to find out that those promised or guaranteed jobs don't exist. If they do exist, they don't have openings.

In other words, it's a sucker's game, a scam. The only people benefiting from all that PR about it are the people you pay for the seminars and workshops and courses.

Coding makes more sense because there really are jobs. It's nothing at all like accounting. It doesn't remotely resemble it. It isn't math. It's using your brain in a different way from medical transcription, but it's all about diseases and diagnoses.

Coding is going to require more knowledge than ever before in terminology, A&P, pathophysiology, and pharmacology.

Back when I first started in coding, the employers all would only consider nurses who had at least some coding education. Now, it's the coding credentials that matter more than anything else, because they prove that you have a solid understanding of what is necessary to be a good coder. Just being a nurse isn't enough anymore. ICD-10 is going to require even more than ever knowledge of all of those. That means it's going to require a very solid coding education, but I believe it will be worth it.

You also need to keep in mind that you have to work hard at getting a job, any job, after you get your education. There are some people getting burned from scams right now of people promising jobs which don't materialize. Don't fall for any of that. Just get the best education you can, whether it's in EMR or coding (my choice), or insurance reimbursement, and then get out there and wear out your shoes going to HR offices and your fingers searching for jobs online. If you'll do that, you'll be one of the people who will be on here giving advice to others on how to be successful.

You've been most helpful - thanks for your insight.

[ In Reply To ..]
Our local jr. college is offering a new course in medical coding. I'll check into that, now that I know a bit more about it, thanks to you. :)

Just make sure that graduates of the school are passing the CCS exam - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Talk to the school and find out if graduates of that course tend to be successful in passing the CCS exam. If not, don't do it. It doesn't matter why they don't, and most courses don't prepare students to the CCS level. It just matters that they do, or don't. Without a CCS, you aren't going to have as many, if any, job options.

This is a new program for them - SK

[ In Reply To ..]
and this fall is their first quarter of classes, so they don't have a record of successful job placements in that field yet. Their info says that graduates will qualify to take the AAPC test (American Assn. of Professional Coders). Have you heard of that? They don't mention CCS.

Yes, I have heard of it - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
The CPC credential (through AAPC) is a good one to have, as long as you also have a CCS (through AHIMA), which is much tougher to pass.

I don't think you need to take a course to qualify for the AAPC test. You should, of course, but I don't think it's a requirement. Almost any school teaches to that level. That just isn't enough to get you a job. You need the CCS.

The CPC is good. You want it too. It just isn't enough on its own.

There are discussions about that on the Coding board here if you want to read back for a few months. You'll get a good idea of the difference.

Too many coding courses that I've been seeing have been trying to teach faster, condensed courses, and the students are coming out of those courses unable to code well enough to get a job. That is why the employers want a CCS. They've already been burned over and over again with people with nothing but a CPC. They are glad for you to have it, as long as you have a CCS too.

I will check into that - thanks again for your help!

[ In Reply To ..]
Much appreciated!

Free access to ONC Health IT Workforce Curriculum Components - dmj

[ In Reply To ..]
You may be interested in the free access to the ONC IT Workforce Components here:
http://www.onc-ntdc.org/home

These are now freely available. Be careful, there are people/companies out there trying to "re-package" these components and selling them to unknowing MTs for a profit which I think is disgraceful and unethical.

Thanks for the info. - Not the OP.

[ In Reply To ..]
This may be exactly what I have been looking for. Also, thanks for the warning about the scammers.

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