Wiki Can a certified medical coder find a job with no experience at all??

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Hey everyone,

My name is Ehab, I just got my certificate on Dec 2019.
I'm currently in UAE looking for a job.
I have no related field experience at all. No medical background. Never have I ever worked in an op or IP environment even as a receptionist.

Can a guy like me find a job as a coder????
 
So at this point, 37 people have read your post, with 0 answers.

I'll jump in. If I were looking to hire a coder, I would not hire one with zero medical experience whatsoever. I have worked with unpaid interns who are about to come out of medical assisting school, medical billing school, etc., and they are lost without real-world experience. I would suggest that you find a way to get some sort of medical experience, and it doesn't have to be coding.

Good luck.
 
I second Sharon's sentiment. While it was not my situation, I hear all the time from people who are newly certified (and have some medical office experience) that they have difficulty getting a coding job.
It's certainly not impossible, but it's not very realistic for you to easily obtain a coding job. Most employers have multiple people applying for a position. They hire the person who is going to be the best fit. If you check their boxes in other ways, they may decide you are the best fit. But typically, in any career, it is easier for someone with relevant experience to get a job.
 
Hello Ehab!

I agree with the other two posters, getting your foot in the medical coding world without any medical experience will be very difficult. At least in the US job market; you state you are looking for work in UAE, perhaps the job market is different there. However, based on the experiences and other coder comments around here, I would highly recommend you start getting some medical office experience as soon as you can. Still apply for medical coding, but realistically take front desk, patient registration, billing, claims, etc job which will prepare you for a career in medical coding.

Medical coding is not an entry level position because of the complexity of the ever changing coding world. I am hearing reports of new coders whose instructors are promising jobs right out of school. Unless the instructors are hiring all of their students, I believe they are being dishonest and misleading. Medical coding can be a very rich and rewarding career, but there are a few steps you need to take before you get there. You also write that you graduated in December of 2019, meaning you have not worked as a coder for 4 months. If I was the hiring manager and saw a candidate with a CPC-A without any coding experience, and then another CPC-A but with a few years of medical office experience, I would likely pick the candidate with medical office experience. I know finding a job can be hard and very time consuming, however if you're serious about medical coding you may have to take a round about way to that goal by starting at an entry level medical office position, and then work your way up to medical coder.

Good luck!
 
I agree and have worked with many in your situation. Get your foot in the door first. Any job that gets you in the door will work, and the experience you get will become valuable as you move towards coding.
 
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