- Messages
- 2
- Location
- Newton, IA
Hi everyone,
I'm hoping to connect with some fellow AAPC members who might have some advice or leads for someone looking for their first professional coding position.
I earned my CPC-A in April 2026 and have an A.A.S. in Medical Coding with a 3.95 GPA. My program included a medical coding practicum where I worked with professional-fee and outpatient coding assignments.
My training and practicum experience includes:
I'm comfortable communicating with a coding team, providers, and other internal departments, but I'm specifically looking for a coding position rather than a patient/customer call-center position.
I know the biggest challenge is that I don't have previous paid coding experience. My coding experience so far has been through my formal education and practicum. I also have a long history of working with medical records, insurance information, EOBs, physician documentation, and coordinating healthcare information for family members. That wasn't paid employment, but it gave me a lot of experience navigating medical documentation, researching questions, and advocating when something didn't make sense.
I've been actively looking for work since completing my program and have applied to quite a few entry-level coding positions. I've also attended an AAPC chapter meeting, worked with Vocational Rehabilitation and IowaWORKS, and contacted staffing agencies.
At this point, I'm hoping to connect with people who have experience getting their first CPC-A position, especially anyone who knows of employers that are willing to train entry-level coders.
If you were able to get your first coding job with a CPC-A and little or no paid coding experience, I'd really appreciate hearing how you found it. And if you know of employers that hire entry-level remote coders in Iowa, I'd be grateful for any leads.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I appreciate any advice you can offer!
Bryne CPC-A
I'm hoping to connect with some fellow AAPC members who might have some advice or leads for someone looking for their first professional coding position.
I earned my CPC-A in April 2026 and have an A.A.S. in Medical Coding with a 3.95 GPA. My program included a medical coding practicum where I worked with professional-fee and outpatient coding assignments.
My training and practicum experience includes:
- ICD-10-CM
- CPT®
- HCPCS Level II
- Professional-fee and outpatient coding
- E/M coding
- Modifier application
- NCCI edits
- Medical necessity
- Medical record review and chart abstraction
- Clinical documentation review
- Coding research
- 3M/Solventum Encoder
- AHIMA VLab
I'm comfortable communicating with a coding team, providers, and other internal departments, but I'm specifically looking for a coding position rather than a patient/customer call-center position.
I know the biggest challenge is that I don't have previous paid coding experience. My coding experience so far has been through my formal education and practicum. I also have a long history of working with medical records, insurance information, EOBs, physician documentation, and coordinating healthcare information for family members. That wasn't paid employment, but it gave me a lot of experience navigating medical documentation, researching questions, and advocating when something didn't make sense.
I've been actively looking for work since completing my program and have applied to quite a few entry-level coding positions. I've also attended an AAPC chapter meeting, worked with Vocational Rehabilitation and IowaWORKS, and contacted staffing agencies.
At this point, I'm hoping to connect with people who have experience getting their first CPC-A position, especially anyone who knows of employers that are willing to train entry-level coders.
If you were able to get your first coding job with a CPC-A and little or no paid coding experience, I'd really appreciate hearing how you found it. And if you know of employers that hire entry-level remote coders in Iowa, I'd be grateful for any leads.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I appreciate any advice you can offer!
Bryne CPC-A