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aprilconrady@yahoo.com

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I understood when I switched my career into medical coding, it might be hard to find a job with a CPC-A and no healthcare background. I am applying to all Medical Coding positions in my area with no luck. I am working on removing my A through AAPC's practicode. So I'm wondering, what other kind of job could I look for in the meantime that might could change into a medical coding position? And by that, I am wondering what I should specifically search for on Indeed.
 
As a new coder, it's generally going to be easier to get into a coding position from within an organization rather than from outside. I'd recommend looking at entry level positions in large organizations such as hospitals or multispecialty physician groups that have a coding department or team. (Small practices don't offer the same opportunities and don't have as much staff turn so are likely offer less mobility in your career.) If you can get your foot in the door in a position such as a job in billing, payment posting, patient registration, medical records, hospital unit secretary, financial services, etc., then you're in a much better position to be ready to move into the coding department when a position opens up. From within the organization, you'll already have been all the HR hurdles, you'll know the computer system and the organization's policies and procedures, so you'll be well ahead of any external applicants in that they'll just have to train you on their coding processes instead of starting you from scratch. And having worked in one of those positions, you'll be exposed to coding in your work so you'll continue to grow, and also will likely connect with people in other roles who can help you move into the position you're ultimately looking for.
 
thomas7331 said:
As a new coder, it's generally going to be easier to get into a coding position from within an organization rather than from outside. I'd recommend looking at entry level positions in large organizations such as hospitals or multispecialty physician groups that have a coding department or team. (Small practices don't offer the same opportunities and don't have as much staff turn so are likely offer less mobility in your career.) If you can get your foot in the door in a position such as a job in billing, payment posting, patient registration, medical records, hospital unit secretary, financial services, etc., then you're in a much better position to be ready to move into the coding department when a position opens up. From within the organization, you'll already have been all the HR hurdles, you'll know the computer system and the organization's policies and procedures, so you'll be well ahead of any external applicants in that they'll just have to train you on their coding processes instead of starting you from scratch. And having worked in one of those positions, you'll be exposed to coding in your work so you'll continue to grow, and also will likely connect with people in other roles who can help you move into the position you're ultimately looking for.
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Excellent. Thank you for the examples of jobs to look for. This gives me a wider job search!
 
Hello. I have been realizing there are no real opportunities to get a Medical Coding job as a newly certified coder simply because there are so many people who are complaining about this as I have experienced the same. I received my CPC last year and Practicode this year here at AAPC, and it is counterintuitive for the governing body of Coding Standards and Licensure to NOT have a job placement program. I have been an advanced medic for over fifteen years and have four Emergency Medicine specialties. I also have a Masters and both Military and private real world experience. So, naturally, I thought it would be easier for me to get an Entry Level job as a Medical Coder. I am wrong in that thinking because I have been rejected for over fifty Entry-Level (i.e. 0 experience) CPC-A/CPC Medical Coding jobs since last year. I just received two more rejections today from organizations claiming less than a year experience.

I absolutely reject the idea from AAPC, for people like us to just apply for basic data entry jobs first. That is absurd and ridiculous! Why would we have spent all that money for the proper education and training for the knowledge, skills, and abilities to code through the licensure body just to get a basic data entry job like record keeping. I wanted a change of career with ability to work from home using the medical knowledge I currently posses, believing Medical Coding would fit. I enjoyed learning and practicing through the AAPC program. Entry Level positions are just that, little to no experience anyway. I can't believe that all this effort is a waste since my AAPC CPC certification with all my other medical experience means nothing to employers. I purchased a new set of books back in December for this year 2023 (again through AAPC), and they are still in their plastic wrapping seven months later. It seems AAPC is only interested in making money and NOT making Coders and helping them network with companies. All of my professional medical training organizations I belong to do this.

I really don't want to ask suggestions because they seem to always be the same; i.e. get a data entry job in record keeping, billing etc first. How does that prepare a qualified and experience medical professional who has one of the two required certifications (AAPC CPC) from one of the only two (AAPC & AHIMA) governing standards licensing bodies? Frustrating.
 
stoicinflux3 said:
Hello. I have been realizing there are no real opportunities to get a Medical Coding job as a newly certified coder simply because there are so many people who are complaining about this as I have experienced the same. I received my CPC last year and Practicode this year here at AAPC, and it is counterintuitive for the governing body of Coding Standards and Licensure to NOT have a job placement program. I have been an advanced medic for over fifteen years and have four Emergency Medicine specialties. I also have a Masters and both Military and private real world experience. So, naturally, I thought it would be easier for me to get an Entry Level job as a Medical Coder. I am wrong in that thinking because I have been rejected for over fifty Entry-Level (i.e. 0 experience) CPC-A/CPC Medical Coding jobs since last year. I just received two more rejections today from organizations claiming less than a year experience.

I absolutely reject the idea from AAPC, for people like us to just apply for basic data entry jobs first. That is absurd and ridiculous! Why would we have spent all that money for the proper education and training for the knowledge, skills, and abilities to code through the licensure body just to get a basic data entry job like record keeping. I wanted a change of career with ability to work from home using the medical knowledge I currently posses, believing Medical Coding would fit. I enjoyed learning and practicing through the AAPC program. Entry Level positions are just that, little to no experience anyway. I can't believe that all this effort is a waste since my AAPC CPC certification with all my other medical experience means nothing to employers. I purchased a new set of books back in December for this year 2023 (again through AAPC), and they are still in their plastic wrapping seven months later. It seems AAPC is only interested in making money and NOT making Coders and helping them network with companies. All of my professional medical training organizations I belong to do this.

I really don't want to ask suggestions because they seem to always be the same; i.e. get a data entry job in record keeping, billing etc first. How does that prepare a qualified and experience medical professional who has one of the two required certifications (AAPC CPC) from one of the only two (AAPC & AHIMA) governing standards licensing bodies? Frustrating.
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You bring up a good point, and I whole heartedly agree. It does seem counterintuitive and is extremely frustrating to go through a rigorous medical coding program and obtain official certification, just to backtrack to getting more generic administrative job positions. I do wish there were companies that focus on official job training for those who hold a CPC-A certification and are sitting on the fence, unable to get a foot in the door. I would think, just by pure logic, that training specifically in medical coding would be of more value for any medical coding position, than experience in generic data entry or generalized admin work, especially considering they are actually different skill sets, regardless of the fact that there is overlap. There's some type of collective overlap in most careers, at some level, so it actually doesn't seem like there's valid reason not to hire directly from course/program graduate pools. It's like saying that everyone who works in a job that uses some type of technology has to work in IT and computer software programming first before advancing to whatever position they went to school for. I genuinely don't understand the outlook of many employers in this regard other than chalking it up to the age-old "do your time" or "pay your dues" or "that's just the way things are" attitude, which is actually more deconstructive to the general workforce. Anyway, all that to say. I agree. Haha.
 
stoicinflux3 said:
Hello. I have been realizing there are no real opportunities to get a Medical Coding job as a newly certified coder simply because there are so many people who are complaining about this as I have experienced the same. I received my CPC last year and Practicode this year here at AAPC, and it is counterintuitive for the governing body of Coding Standards and Licensure to NOT have a job placement program. I have been an advanced medic for over fifteen years and have four Emergency Medicine specialties. I also have a Masters and both Military and private real world experience. So, naturally, I thought it would be easier for me to get an Entry Level job as a Medical Coder. I am wrong in that thinking because I have been rejected for over fifty Entry-Level (i.e. 0 experience) CPC-A/CPC Medical Coding jobs since last year. I just received two more rejections today from organizations claiming less than a year experience.

I absolutely reject the idea from AAPC, for people like us to just apply for basic data entry jobs first. That is absurd and ridiculous! Why would we have spent all that money for the proper education and training for the knowledge, skills, and abilities to code through the licensure body just to get a basic data entry job like record keeping. I wanted a change of career with ability to work from home using the medical knowledge I currently posses, believing Medical Coding would fit. I enjoyed learning and practicing through the AAPC program. Entry Level positions are just that, little to no experience anyway. I can't believe that all this effort is a waste since my AAPC CPC certification with all my other medical experience means nothing to employers. I purchased a new set of books back in December for this year 2023 (again through AAPC), and they are still in their plastic wrapping seven months later. It seems AAPC is only interested in making money and NOT making Coders and helping them network with companies. All of my professional medical training organizations I belong to do this.

I really don't want to ask suggestions because they seem to always be the same; i.e. get a data entry job in record keeping, billing etc first. How does that prepare a qualified and experience medical professional who has one of the two required certifications (AAPC CPC) from one of the only two (AAPC & AHIMA) governing standards licensing bodies? Frustrating.
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I definitely understand your frustration I think a lot of us are fed up and feel like giving up. They can’t expect someone to have experience if they don’t hire you. I feel like I wasted my money and time in this field. Have I known before I started the course I wouldn’t have did it.
 
I am in the same boat with over 20 years of Pre-hospital and clinical Medic work, both civilian and military/contracting overseas. I even looked for "Entry-Level" postings, most say 0-1 year experience, and they would take both CPC-A or CPC. What a joke! The AAPC has no answers which indicates clearly they governing body only cares to pump out as many graduates of their programs, but caters to only those already in the field. They just want $$$$. I immediately took the Practicode "apprentice" course and that did not matter either. It just doesn't make sense that AAPC propaganda claims Medical Coding is growing at rates up to 36% per year (or whatever it is now) and they are so proud to have a worldwide standard now. They make you think you have a chance, but given the amount of student graduates printed on the back of the monthly reviews, I can only guess now that the majority are already Coders and are just looking for the CPC formality to bump up their pay.

December 2023 will mark over one (1) year applying to hundreds of jobs and all being rejected. I even have the 2023 manuals sitting right next to me still fully wrapped from shipment in their plastic, never opened once. I figure, why should I? I was excited to add another title to the back of my name, but, starting 20224, I am going to scrap my dreams of working as a Medical Coder and I will never support the AAPC with my money or presence again. I will also never recommend anyone to ever get any credential from AAPC or AHIMA unless they are already working in the job title they wish to advance in. Why? Because, it seems only the AAPC and AHIMA are the governing bodies for these certificates and education in this field, but lack the resources to help their graduates land even the simplest entry-level jobs. Promoting more courses is not experience, and I did not take the CPC courses to become a Medical Biller....lol.

Good luck to everyone else, but come January I will wash myself of becoming a Coder, recycle my books, and write off the costs as a loss.
 
stoicinflux3 said:
I am in the same boat with over 20 years of Pre-hospital and clinical Medic work, both civilian and military/contracting overseas. I even looked for "Entry-Level" postings, most say 0-1 year experience, and they would take both CPC-A or CPC. What a joke! The AAPC has no answers which indicates clearly they governing body only cares to pump out as many graduates of their programs, but caters to only those already in the field. They just want $$$$. I immediately took the Practicode "apprentice" course and that did not matter either. It just doesn't make sense that AAPC propaganda claims Medical Coding is growing at rates up to 36% per year (or whatever it is now) and they are so proud to have a worldwide standard now. They make you think you have a chance, but given the amount of student graduates printed on the back of the monthly reviews, I can only guess now that the majority are already Coders and are just looking for the CPC formality to bump up their pay.

December 2023 will mark over one (1) year applying to hundreds of jobs and all being rejected. I even have the 2023 manuals sitting right next to me still fully wrapped from shipment in their plastic, never opened once. I figure, why should I? I was excited to add another title to the back of my name, but, starting 20224, I am going to scrap my dreams of working as a Medical Coder and I will never support the AAPC with my money or presence again. I will also never recommend anyone to ever get any credential from AAPC or AHIMA unless they are already working in the job title they wish to advance in. Why? Because, it seems only the AAPC and AHIMA are the governing bodies for these certificates and education in this field, but lack the resources to help their graduates land even the simplest entry-level jobs. Promoting more courses is not experience, and I did not take the CPC courses to become a Medical Biller....lol.

Good luck to everyone else, but come January I will wash myself of becoming a Coder, recycle my books, and write off the costs as a loss.
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I think I’m about to wash my hands with it too. This whole website is misleading and so is everything else. Not only they post jobs on the website l, but every job they post you have to have experience and it’s confusing because some companies say CPC-A with 5 years of experience and I’m like that make no sense if a person has a apprenticeship hoe they going to have 5 years experience if they just got they certification. I would not recommend medical billing and coding at all to no one especially if they not going to help you find a job afterwards and just leave you in the dark. Practicode does not count as no experience. I feel sorry for the people that’s in the course now. They going to be disappointed afterwards if they’re not already coders and just trying to get certified in it.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention that Medical Coding just might be replaced by AI someday in the near future simply because it is pretty straight forward and follows simple, algorithmic logic. If-Then statements if you will, then the code(s) to match. So , if there will be any growing need as AAPC loves to put it, it will be replaced by AI programs at the insurance levels.
 
aprilconrady@yahoo.com said:
I understood when I switched my career into medical coding, it might be hard to find a job with a CPC-A and no healthcare background. I am applying to all Medical Coding positions in my area with no luck. I am working on removing my A through AAPC's practicode. So I'm wondering, what other kind of job could I look for in the meantime that might could change into a medical coding position? And by that, I am wondering what I should specifically search for on Indeed.
Click to expand...
well, if you use Indeed, there are a lot of scammers out there. so, my advice is to go the company's website that is posting the job. i feel that there have been scammers on this website as well, that I have accidentally applied to. "Consulting" companies... So, that being said, I would look for admin assistant, HIM, patient registration, etc at the healthcare setting you wish to work at.
 
stoicinflux3 said:
Oh, I forgot to mention that Medical Coding just might be replaced by AI someday in the near future simply because it is pretty straight forward and follows simple, algorithmic logic. If-Then statements if you will, then the code(s) to match. So , if there will be any growing need as AAPC loves to put it, it will be replaced by AI programs at the insurance levels.
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yes, I agree. what about risk management though
 
Kyeann196 said:
well, if you use Indeed, there are a lot of scammers out there. so, my advice is to go the company's website that is posting the job. i feel that there have been scammers on this website as well, that I have accidentally applied to. "Consulting" companies... So, that being said, I would look for admin assistant, HIM, patient registration, etc at the healthcare setting you wish to work at.
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Definitely scammers. I got scammed on indeed for a data entry job. 🤣🤣🤣 I don’t trust most of these sites.
 
Kyeann196 said:
well, if you use Indeed, there are a lot of scammers out there. so, my advice is to go the company's website that is posting the job. i feel that there have been scammers on this website as well, that I have accidentally applied to. "Consulting" companies... So, that being said, I would look for admin assistant, HIM, patient registration, etc at the healthcare setting you wish to work at.
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I used Indeed to scrub for employers and mill organizations. I only apply on legit Company websites if they track. All have rejected me including HIM sites but I refuse to anything else like the Admin and Patient Records jobs because that is not what I went to get my CPC in. I am a medical professional as it is for aa couple decades now so CPC is intuitive and easy for me. The Admin, clerical, and records keeping is for a High School grad or someone who does not have credentials, certs, or licensing to match. All are important positions but getting certified and licensed in specifics sets that apart from the rest.
 
I appreciate this thread and am happy to know that I am not alone in trying to find a position. I have over 10 years of experience outside of the medical field and hold an MBA. I got an Associate's in a medical coding program and received my CPC-A in May. I have applied for numerous positions and never met the criteria for any of them. I don't know how to get a job in the coding field at this rate and I am frustrated that I spent the time and money on this endeavor thinking it was an investment.
 
I just finished reading this whole thread. I am in the same position. What a shame. Now I am uncertain if I should keep up with my CEU's. I went back to teaching part time but really want to fulfill my experience as a coder. I did not even complete my Practicode. That was a huge headache and the ladies running that were unprofessional and did not correctly transfer all my cases over to the 'new' version of practicode. I do not want to give up though because I worked so hard and my family helped me financially so I will keep trying.
 
I went through this thread, and it seems that for quite some time people have a hard time finding a job after getting certified. I went to school (many years ago) for billing and coding. I've worked billing (with coding) for over 12 years. I finally decided to get certified and passed the CPC in August 2023. I started applying for positions as soon as I found out I passed. I either hear nothing or get a rejection email. I can't get the A removed from my CPC because my current employer doesn't know I want to leave. And even with the experience I have, nothing. I know people say to take a different position to get yourself in the door, but that is time spent not coding, which is part of what I do now, plus those are lower paying jobs than the one I currently have. Getting certified seemed like a really good idea back in the spring when I decided to go for it but now it seems like a waste of money, time, and added stress. And AAPC just said they are increasing their membership rates. Also, before when I decided to go for the certification, there were loads of jobs posted wanting certification through AAPC, now it seems most job postings want certification through AHIMA.
 
Oh my goodness! Reading this string in very disheartening. I do wonder if AAPC monitors this board. I do not see that they are helping at all in finding employment for their people. There is no support from AAPC. I looked into an Externship and was told, in a nutshell, go find one yourself. OK, why do I need AAPC? You would think AAPC would be building relationships with employers to help their members. I'd be OK with very low pay or no pay just to get the experience. Indeed and Linkedin have tons of CPC listings. Who is filling these positions?
 
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