Seven Tips to Help You Succeed at Medical Billing and Coding Training

Medical Billing and Coding is one of the fastest-growing professions in health and wellness, with positions both inside and outside medical facilities offering you a wealth of working opportunities. If you’ve decided to pursue Medical Billing and Coding training at a career school such as Southern California Health Institute (SOCHi), being prepared to balance school life with work and social commitments is essential.

Preparing for a career in Medical Billing and Coding begins with a great work ethic, whether in your classes or at your job.

For many students, school work and “real” work go hand-in-hand. Whether you are a student fresh from high school or an adult pursuing a new career, working a job while also studying requires careful scheduling and firm goals for your future. By keeping these tips in mind, you will be well on your way to succeeding.

Take Your Job Seriously

Though you may be taking the job as a way to pay for your education or pay living expenses while going to school, try to look at your job as something more important, not only now but for your future professional career. Taking your job seriously also means doing your job well. Putting in extra effort to help others and do your assigned tasks as well as they can possibly be done will also give you a positive work image that will be passed on.

Build Your Professional Network

In your job, you will meet people inside and outside the health, fitness and wellness industries that may be of help in some way later on. Keep in touch and foster those networking relationships, and they may be able to connect you with good opportunities after you have graduated and started out in your career.

Take Your School Seriously

Your class work is what is preparing you for your career in Medical Billing and Coding, so taking your time in classrooms and lab settings seriously is a must. Medical Billing and Coding training, such as the program offered at Southern California Health Institute, includes a variety of coursework, from anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology, to medical office business classes and insurance claim processing. In addition, medical billing and coding programs include training in the specialized coding, ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS, as well as how to handle both inpatient and outpatient coding. Be prepared for your classes and labs, complete assignments on time, and allow plenty of time in your schedule for study.

Creating a Productive, and Private, Study Space

The way that you studied in high school may not be as effective when you need to study as an adult student. When it comes to Medical Billing and Coding programs, you have a lot of codes and procedures that need to be studied, understood and memorized to some degree. Creating a private space in your home that is reserved for your study time is highly recommended.

Choose a quiet area of your home, somewhere you will be uninterrupted, for your study space. Keep it simple, with a chair and desk or table, use good lighting, and make sure the temperature is kept at a comfortable level. Make sure that your family and friends understand that study time is your time.

Schedule Your Time Wisely

When you are balancing your education, your job and your life outside of these, knowing how to managing your time well is essential. Budgeting your time helps you to stay more organized, keeps stress to a minimum, and knowing how much time you have available makes it easier to change plans when needed.

When it comes to putting together a job schedule, set a maximum work week of 20 hours, and try to space those hours out as much as possible so you will have plenty of time to rest between shifts, as well as complete school work.

Having time to relax is also very important. You need time to sleep, eat, and simply recharge your mental and physical batteries, and this time needs to be factored in when scheduling your time.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help

Even the best of schedules may become overwhelming at some point. Illness, family emergencies, and extreme weather can wreak havoc on a well-planned schedule. Stress, overwork, further illness and even injury may be the result if you try to struggle in these situations, so do not be afraid to ask for help.

At school, your teachers want you to do your best, to succeed, so be honest with them about your difficulties; they may have solutions to help you catch-up on missed assignments or labs. At work, talk with your manager or supervisor about cutting back on hours temporarily until the situation resolves.

Stress may also be an issue when working and going to school at the same time. Many schools have counseling services available, and you should definitely take advantage of them before the stress becomes overwhelming as well.

Relax and Enjoy the Work/School/Life Experience

Finally, do not forget to enjoy the experience of working and going to school. It can be hectic, and sometimes stressful, but it is also a rewarding time. Preparing yourself for the future while taking care of yourself in the present builds confidence, teaches you valuable lessons and gives you the tools you need to succeed as a professional adult in the world.

Achieving success in a Medical Billing and Coding training program at Southern California Health Institute means being focused and balanced as you attend classes and work a job. It means using both environments to build Contact Us, make connections and acquire skills that will be valuable in your future.

Please feel free to request more information about the Medical Billing and Coding program at SOCHi, or any of our other career programs. We look forward to talking with you.