Working in the Medical Coding Department

"Take-a-break", a guest on our Medical Billing Community forum has shared the following insights:

"For medical coding, you better have a passion for learning about diseases, anatomy, medical techniques, surgical terminology, medications, and such! I can't emphasize this enough."

Some people are just naturally talented. They have a great sense of responsibility along with excellent organizational skills, and are able to communicate well with people from all walks of life. These qualities are important and will go a long way in this field, along with being a natural-born talent.

Some inpatient charts are very long. You might have to start one in the afternoon and have to come back and finish it the next day. Surgeries were the most difficult for me. Also determining when something was a complication vs. an adverse effect of a procedure requires special knowledge. I am just trying to demonstrate how involved this is.

After finishing the medical coding program at a community college, it took me a year to get a job. There is a high demand for coders, but most employers want experienced coders! Couldn't even volunteer anywhere unless I had experience.

Specialization, Such as Cardiology or Radiology Coding

It is difficult to find a job when you only code one specialty, like only cardiology, or only radiology. Most places expect you to do a little of everything, inpatient and outpatient. If you are coding in a hospital that has switched to EMR, chances are good that you will be responsible for only a specific number range of codes, as the coders are highly specialized. I had to pass the CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) test to even get an interview.

Contributed by Take-a-break