I passed my CPC exam and received my certificate with the Apprentice status. I am currently working on Practicode, however, it is very discouraging and time consuming. In the end it will only remove 1 year of the 2 year requirements to remove the apprentice status. Do I keep working on this? I have invested a lot of time, energy and money into this whole thing but I'm wondering if I should just walk away and pursue work in another field? My family and I are going to be moving in June of this year and I had hoped to be working soon after that, however, as an apprentice no one is really interested in hiring me! Any ideas?? Thoughts?? Suggestions?? Thanks!
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- Thread starter rdralle
- Start date
If you search the forum, you will find dozens of posts asking the same type of thing. My answer is - it depend on what you want to be doing long term. Just because you invested time, energy and money does not mean you enjoy the work. I went to undergrad for actuarial science, and decided my final semester I did not want to spend the next 40 years as an actuary. 
Yes, getting hired as a coder with no experience is not easy (whether or not you did Practicode). If you want to work as a coder, my opinion is to take any job that is coding adjacent. Hospital registrar. Authorization specialist. File clerk (if they still exist). Front desk. Anything in revenue cycle. Ideally at a company that also employs coders. You will get accustomed to certain lingo and interact with the people doing what you want to do. Ask if you can spend an extra hour or 2 once a week interning with a coder. Buy them donuts. Show initiative. BE A SPONGE. There are many different career paths that someone with a coding education can pursue. If there is a specific aspect that you are enthusiastic about, make sure that shows on an interview. As a hiring manager, if I were looking for a coder, someone with CPC-A but already knew all my computer systems, people in various departments, and a proven track record of having initiative would hold more weight than someone from the outside with 2 years of experience.
If you are 100% certain this is not the career path for you, then don't bother with Practicode and don't waste any further time, energy or money. If you are not 100% certain, then continue with Practicode while you look for any healthcare position.
Good luck!!
Yes, getting hired as a coder with no experience is not easy (whether or not you did Practicode). If you want to work as a coder, my opinion is to take any job that is coding adjacent. Hospital registrar. Authorization specialist. File clerk (if they still exist). Front desk. Anything in revenue cycle. Ideally at a company that also employs coders. You will get accustomed to certain lingo and interact with the people doing what you want to do. Ask if you can spend an extra hour or 2 once a week interning with a coder. Buy them donuts. Show initiative. BE A SPONGE. There are many different career paths that someone with a coding education can pursue. If there is a specific aspect that you are enthusiastic about, make sure that shows on an interview. As a hiring manager, if I were looking for a coder, someone with CPC-A but already knew all my computer systems, people in various departments, and a proven track record of having initiative would hold more weight than someone from the outside with 2 years of experience.
If you are 100% certain this is not the career path for you, then don't bother with Practicode and don't waste any further time, energy or money. If you are not 100% certain, then continue with Practicode while you look for any healthcare position.
Good luck!!
amyjph
True Blue
Yes, as above and search the forums, this question has been asked and answered multiple times. It also comes down to personal goals and preferences.
amyjph
True Blue
Here is a recent one with discussion: https://www.aapc.com/discuss/threads/newbie-here.184053/?view=date#post-505089
sinman0531
Guru
Did you take a certification course through the AAPC, or another school (Penn Foster, local community college, Ashworth, DeVry, Keiser, etc)? If so, then the certificate course will knock off one year, and Practicode knocks off the other. If you took the course through the AAPC, they will knock it off automatically when you complete Practicode, but if you completed the course elsewhere then you have to submit transcripts with certain information.
If you just happened to take the test and pass, don't discount jobs that aren't "straight" coding. Most of my coding experience came from working in provider services for insurance companies, and working in authorization departments!