I am a Pharmacist. Pls tell me ways to go to the medical transcription and medical coding field.?

Hi, to learn medical coding, it can be done at a community college through a certificate program or you can continue on to an associates in health information technology. Then you usually do an internship and then try to pass certification tests. I will warn you though it took me a year to find a job after going to school and getting the CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) credential. There is a great demand for medical coders, but the demand is for experienced coders.





I would advise you to make sure whatever program you choose is backed by the American Health Information Association (AHIMA). They issue medical coding credentials.





Medical coding requires some kind of formal training although you are a pharmacist and that would be a big help as far as the terminology. I used to do medical coding. I found it very difficult but for you, it may come easier? Here's some examples: Having to read coronary bypass surgeries and count how many arteries were bypassed, were autogenous saphenous veins used or mammary artery or thoracic artery, was extracorporeal circulation used (heart lung machine)? Was there prolonged mechanical ventilation after the procedure? All of these events have specific codes. Not to mention after training you are expected to meet daily production standards. It is difficult to find a job where you only have to code one specialty, like only cardiology or only urology. Mostly hospitals hire coders and they are expected to do a little of everything, outpatient surgeries, ERs, etc.





Good luck whatever you decide. Never tried medical transcription, but have been looking into it.

I am a Pharmacist. Pls tell me ways to go to the medical transcription and medical coding field.?
Surely you know you would be taking a HUGE cut in pay???
Reply:Well, you tell us you are a Pharmacist, which is a medical degree, however you sentence structure and grammatical errors tell quite a different story. Why you would want to leave the Pharmacy to learn billing and coding defies logic. It sounds like a huge waste of time to me.
Reply:I am a pharmacist and find this hard to believe. You must be putting us on. You would be taking a 70% pay cut.