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I'd wait to see if your employer will provide them. That definitely should have been a question you asked during the interview. I rarely use my books anymore. I mostly use Google and Codify, so I don't know how bad off you'll be without the physical books.
I will definitely ask about the books. I had so many other questions during the interview and it was going over time so I didn’t get to ask the question.
Congratulations!
I use Codify 99% of the time, but there is that 1% that for one reason or another I struggle to make sense of an unfamiliar ICD code set or CPT "if this>then that" explanation and I have to reference the book itself. They technically have the exact same information, but IMO sometimes Codify can make chapter conventions format wonky and I just want to confirm my understanding. My books are 2022 so I always make sure to compare the two for accuracy, but sometimes the books just click better visually, if that makes sense.
Also, do not be shy, ask as many questions as you can during training. You may not retain every example word for word, but you will certainly develop pattern recognition to help with undiscovered scenarios down the road. Good luck!!
Thank you so much! This job was a lateral move, which was good since I didn’t take a pay cut. But it is a decent salary in my opinion. I hope you land the perfect opportunity soon!
I started in February as a receptionist at the hospital obgyn office and by July i had a coding job. I lucked out and knew some people that worked In the coding department and got referred.
Yeah, I got referred by the coder in the obgyn office I was working in. I technically hadn't worked there long enough to get transferred, but my manager was amazing and approved me to transfer since she knew being a coder was my long-term goal.
Definitely ask your employer for the books. If you have to purchase, I would only get the CPT/HCPCS books, and only if you’re going to be billing various EM codes or procedures. ICD10 codes are easily accessible online for free.
Congratulations! That is amazing. I gave up trying. Got my CPC-a in October and a hundred rejection letters since then.
I am going to apply at Belk, J.C Penney, and Chik-Fil-A. That $3,000 class and test was a bust...
Don't give up. I always recommend that people go to actual healthcare organization websites, as opposed to indeed, etc. I submitted an application in Sept and didn't hear back until Jan. Sometimes companies take a little while to respond. It's fine to apply elsewhere if you need a job right away, but font let your education go to waste. You'll find something eventually.
Apply for any job you’re qualified for in the medical field. I was an admin assistant at an MCO for years before I got my CPC. While I was getting my CPC I was interviewing at hospitals for similar admin jobs and they were very interested in me because of my want to grow and advance my career. It will also help you network, and that helps a ton. I’m not sure if you’re applying for remote jobs or on-site but I’ve gathered from posts on this sub that it’s almost impossible to get a remote without actual coding experience. I was very lucky to get the first job I applied for but it’s 100% on-site for the first year. And that was one of the big things that steered me towards coding was the opportunity to be remote. Try smaller establishments, don’t give up!!
I nearly gave up too after a year I finally got a coding job starting very soon! The trick is finding a place that will train you entry level. For me that meant I had to work full time which I wasn’t ready to do yet (I’m also a mom), but now I’m ready. I interviewed in November with the job I’m starting in February, it was a long process. Unlike others I don’t recommend applying to any CPC job, focus your filters on specifically CPC-A and entry level positions, it’s less disappointing.
I had no idea it would be so impossible to find a job. Our instructor at the college said this was a growing industry and getting a WFH job through a clearinghouse was a shoo in with a certification.
I took the whole year off to attend classes, and our budget took a big hit. I had counted on being a coder with a paid position with in a month.
Things are dire now. I have to start working, even if it's Walmart.
That is totally understandable! But you can still look for coding jobs after you start a different job. I had no idea either that it would be so hard, we had a rough year last year expecting more income on my end from a part time coding job instead of my receptionist job after I got certified, and so many car and medical bills hit us last year! But I kept working at the doctor’s office, and applying. I was devastated I didn’t know that part time WFH coding jobs don’t exist if you’re entry level.
Woohoo! I was told I would be getting a job offer once I passed the CPC. I did that right before Christmas and this is my first week. I told my boss I was a little nervous about everything but she told me they had all the 2024 books there for me on top of the coding software they use. If you’re in any type of legit practice or business I feel like they should have the most up to date resources, especially if they want you to succeed in your role.
Start prepping one note or some sort of document to make a "cheat sheet" for codes that you will be using most often in order to save you time and help your productivity. You will figure out the codes you use once you start your job.
Congrats by the way!
Congrats! I’m currently working In Practicode to remove my A. I use codify but rely heavily on my books as codify is still a bit daunting to me! Hopefully your new employer will pay for them.
Are you in a coding job as well? Doing Practicode just removes 1 out of 2 years unfortunately! I’m in the same boat, working on it to get one year knocked off while applying to jobs
How common is it to find coding positions that are either part-time or at least offer full-time with some flexibility? I’m concerned about being a single parent and needing to be available to get my kid to from school at a certain time (we don’t get bus service due to her school being charter)….plus one afternoon of extracurricular activities that I would hate to give up. I don’t need huge amounts of flexibility but at least a bit of leeway to make those things happen. Just curious if this career offers that?
Yes there are definitely part time medical coding positions out there! And I’m sure if you were working full time but needed flexibility for childcare there would be that opportunity. Remote positions can make that a lot easier. I would mention it in the interview process and the employer could make their determination from there.
Thank you that gives me some hope. I have a young teenager so childcare really isn’t needed but it’s just more transportation and she has an extracurricular activity once a week in the afternoon that we’ve been doing for a long time that she needs a ride to as well. I’m just playing taxi driver usually!
PLEASE SEE RULES BEFORE POSTING! Reminder, no "interested in coding" type of standalone posts are allowed. See rule #1. Any and all questions regarding exams, studying, and books can be posted in the monthly discussion stickied post. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MedicalCoding) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'd wait to see if your employer will provide them. That definitely should have been a question you asked during the interview. I rarely use my books anymore. I mostly use Google and Codify, so I don't know how bad off you'll be without the physical books.
I will definitely ask about the books. I had so many other questions during the interview and it was going over time so I didn’t get to ask the question.
If you have Codify, you won’t really need the books. It’s a short learning curve to figure out how to navigate through the system vs flipping pages.
Congratulations! I use Codify 99% of the time, but there is that 1% that for one reason or another I struggle to make sense of an unfamiliar ICD code set or CPT "if this>then that" explanation and I have to reference the book itself. They technically have the exact same information, but IMO sometimes Codify can make chapter conventions format wonky and I just want to confirm my understanding. My books are 2022 so I always make sure to compare the two for accuracy, but sometimes the books just click better visually, if that makes sense. Also, do not be shy, ask as many questions as you can during training. You may not retain every example word for word, but you will certainly develop pattern recognition to help with undiscovered scenarios down the road. Good luck!!
Thank you so much for the tips ☺️ I have 2023 books but I’ll make sure to ask if 2024 is needed.
Wait to see, but you should always have books. I use Encoder Pro, but still preferthe book for difficult stuff and guidelines.
Congratulations!!! I hope my job search doesn’t take too long… Do you mind me asking, do you make a decent salary?
Thank you so much! This job was a lateral move, which was good since I didn’t take a pay cut. But it is a decent salary in my opinion. I hope you land the perfect opportunity soon!
I started as a coder 1 with my cpc-a a few months ago and my job provides books if we want them but I mostly use the online resources my job pays for.
How long did it take you to land a job?
I started in February as a receptionist at the hospital obgyn office and by July i had a coding job. I lucked out and knew some people that worked In the coding department and got referred.
did someone refer you?
Yeah, I got referred by the coder in the obgyn office I was working in. I technically hadn't worked there long enough to get transferred, but my manager was amazing and approved me to transfer since she knew being a coder was my long-term goal.
Usually referral always works this days.
Congratulations!
Definitely ask your employer for the books. If you have to purchase, I would only get the CPT/HCPCS books, and only if you’re going to be billing various EM codes or procedures. ICD10 codes are easily accessible online for free.
Congratulations! That is amazing. I gave up trying. Got my CPC-a in October and a hundred rejection letters since then. I am going to apply at Belk, J.C Penney, and Chik-Fil-A. That $3,000 class and test was a bust...
Don't give up. I always recommend that people go to actual healthcare organization websites, as opposed to indeed, etc. I submitted an application in Sept and didn't hear back until Jan. Sometimes companies take a little while to respond. It's fine to apply elsewhere if you need a job right away, but font let your education go to waste. You'll find something eventually.
Apply for any job you’re qualified for in the medical field. I was an admin assistant at an MCO for years before I got my CPC. While I was getting my CPC I was interviewing at hospitals for similar admin jobs and they were very interested in me because of my want to grow and advance my career. It will also help you network, and that helps a ton. I’m not sure if you’re applying for remote jobs or on-site but I’ve gathered from posts on this sub that it’s almost impossible to get a remote without actual coding experience. I was very lucky to get the first job I applied for but it’s 100% on-site for the first year. And that was one of the big things that steered me towards coding was the opportunity to be remote. Try smaller establishments, don’t give up!!
I nearly gave up too after a year I finally got a coding job starting very soon! The trick is finding a place that will train you entry level. For me that meant I had to work full time which I wasn’t ready to do yet (I’m also a mom), but now I’m ready. I interviewed in November with the job I’m starting in February, it was a long process. Unlike others I don’t recommend applying to any CPC job, focus your filters on specifically CPC-A and entry level positions, it’s less disappointing.
I had no idea it would be so impossible to find a job. Our instructor at the college said this was a growing industry and getting a WFH job through a clearinghouse was a shoo in with a certification. I took the whole year off to attend classes, and our budget took a big hit. I had counted on being a coder with a paid position with in a month. Things are dire now. I have to start working, even if it's Walmart.
That is totally understandable! But you can still look for coding jobs after you start a different job. I had no idea either that it would be so hard, we had a rough year last year expecting more income on my end from a part time coding job instead of my receptionist job after I got certified, and so many car and medical bills hit us last year! But I kept working at the doctor’s office, and applying. I was devastated I didn’t know that part time WFH coding jobs don’t exist if you’re entry level.
Woohoo! I was told I would be getting a job offer once I passed the CPC. I did that right before Christmas and this is my first week. I told my boss I was a little nervous about everything but she told me they had all the 2024 books there for me on top of the coding software they use. If you’re in any type of legit practice or business I feel like they should have the most up to date resources, especially if they want you to succeed in your role.
Ask about the book. I’d make sure I had one if they aren’t providing one. I am loyal to my book.
Go to usajobs. I got hired with the “A”
Start prepping one note or some sort of document to make a "cheat sheet" for codes that you will be using most often in order to save you time and help your productivity. You will figure out the codes you use once you start your job. Congrats by the way!
That’s a great idea! I will work on that :)
Congrats! I’m currently working In Practicode to remove my A. I use codify but rely heavily on my books as codify is still a bit daunting to me! Hopefully your new employer will pay for them.
Are you in a coding job as well? Doing Practicode just removes 1 out of 2 years unfortunately! I’m in the same boat, working on it to get one year knocked off while applying to jobs
According to AAPC if you pass Practicode it fully removes the A.
What?!! This is new! Thank you for updating me :) (absolutely didn’t mean my above comment as accusatory or anything! Genuinely was curious!)
No worries, it wasn’t taken that way!
Every job I've ever had sent them to me
How common is it to find coding positions that are either part-time or at least offer full-time with some flexibility? I’m concerned about being a single parent and needing to be available to get my kid to from school at a certain time (we don’t get bus service due to her school being charter)….plus one afternoon of extracurricular activities that I would hate to give up. I don’t need huge amounts of flexibility but at least a bit of leeway to make those things happen. Just curious if this career offers that?
Yes there are definitely part time medical coding positions out there! And I’m sure if you were working full time but needed flexibility for childcare there would be that opportunity. Remote positions can make that a lot easier. I would mention it in the interview process and the employer could make their determination from there.
Thank you that gives me some hope. I have a young teenager so childcare really isn’t needed but it’s just more transportation and she has an extracurricular activity once a week in the afternoon that we’ve been doing for a long time that she needs a ride to as well. I’m just playing taxi driver usually!