If you have ever wondered what else you could be doing to build a career as a medical coder, here are a few tips that every medical coding student should know and do.
Most definitely! However, if you are aware of the things that can trip you up, then you can plan and prepare to avoid these delays to continue on your journey. This news should not worry you at all, but serve as a reminder of an important quote by Benjamin Franklin, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."
As a student (several times over) here are 7 important things that I learned that you should do now to prevent burnout, and procrastination, and to be prepared for dues or fees as well as changes to medical coding policies. So, let's prepare!
Essential Tips for Medical Coding Students
1. Take 5
One major thing that will trip you up throughout your course is procrastination. There will be days when you are motivated and full of energy to read your chapters or take quizzes, but inevitably there will be days you do not want to do anything. This is where your discipline should trump motivation, but how can you be disciplined when procrastination is ruling your day? You take five.
Have you ever heard of the 5-minute rule? This is an awesome technique that helps you to start that task you have been avoiding, but it also gives you the choice to keep going or to stop. If one day you are doing everything but completing your coursework or studying, set a timer for 5 minutes and get to work. This is the push you need to get going to overcome procrastination. After the 5 minutes are up you can continue or stop. Most likely you will keep going because you will feel productive. If you choose to keep going try implementing the Pomodoro technique to trick your brain into completing that task.
Procrastination can be an occurrence that happens on some days or a daily habit. Don't let it rule your day and if you feel that it is just take five.
2. Take a break
This is essential! If you are working full-time or a parent, you may want to devote all your free time to your course and to studying. As Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman said, "Big mistake! Huge!" This will not ensure that you are a productive student but it will ensure total burnout.
Burnout happens when you are doing too much. The result of it could be just quitting or falling behind. How do you avoid this? It's easy, you take a break. I'm sure it's not as easy as just saying "Take a break." You have a lot of stuff to do! But trust me this works for you; not against you.
By taking a break you are giving your mind and body permission to rest and focus on other priorities that are just as important as studying. Such as, spending time with family, going to lunch or dinner with friends, or taking your kids to the park or movies. This will reenergize you and remind you that you can still have a life as you pursue your goals.
To take a break I do not mean taking an hour out of each day to scroll through social media or play video games. Take a full day or half a day depending upon your schedule and use that time for self-care, spend time with friends or family, or just do what brings you joy. This tip is essential because taking a break gives you time to remember why or who you are doing all this for. If you keep that as a priority along with your studies you will avoid burnout.
3. Set a schedule & stick to it
We know we should create a schedule to block off time to study and complete assignments. You may use paper or digital planners, Google calendar, or an app on your phone.
You sat down and planned out your week or even the month and you have every intention of sticking to it until something happens. It could be anything that throws your day out of control or you are consumed by other tasks that you spend more time doing those things instead of what you should do. Making a schedule but failing to act on that plan could cause you major delays in progressing through your course.
So, how do you stick to your schedule? Set cues. A cue is just a simple reminder of the task that needs to be done at a certain time. If you love to time block, then set cues along with your time-blocked schedule. For example, my day is broken into time blocks starting with my commute to work. It's a forty-minute commute so during that block of time I study my index cards or my answers in Google Sheets. Afterward, my blocks of time will consist of work, lunch, commute home, etc. During the lunch block instead of scrolling through social media I will listen to a Youtube video discussing the subject I'm currently studying or read my online textbook. On the commute home, I will study my index cards again. My commute to work and lunch break are my cues to study.
Another method of sticking to your schedule is using the method detailed by James Clear in Atomic Habits called habit stacking. If you have not read that book it should be on your must-read list! To put it simply, James Clear states that this technique is the fastest way to learn a new habit because you are stacking it on top of a current ingrained habit. An example of this is if you set a schedule to study first thing in the morning. Well, time could get away from you if you start cleaning, making breakfast, and scrolling through your phone. To ensure that you stick to your schedule, stack this task with a habit that you do every morning. Such as, brushing your teeth. Right after you wake up in the morning and brush your teeth you start studying. After a while of repeatedly studying right after you brush your teeth, it becomes an automatic habit to do that.
Creating a schedule is easy. The trick to sticking to it is planning how to stick to that schedule too. Try habit stacking or setting up a cue and see which works best for you.
4. Create a sinking fund
Let's talk money. Specifically, let's talk about saving money. As a medical coding student, you have invested a lot of money in your medical coding course. This investment may have covered the costs of current ICD-10, CPT, & HCPCS manuals and it may cover your CPC exam. However, after you pass your CPC exam your investment does not stop there.
As a certified coder, you must maintain your certification with continuation education units (CEUs). Usually, your CEUs are required every two years. However, this is one of many expenses you need to be prepared for as a certified coder. Here are a few expenses that you should be aware of now to know if or when you should start saving.
- Purchasing current ICD-10, CPT, & HCPCs manuals
- Conferences (a great place to network with other healthcare professionals)
- Local chapter membership fees (if you decide to join your local chapter meetings)
- Subscriptions (medical coding newsletters/publications)
A sinking fund can help cover the costs before they sneak up on you. A sinking fund is a designated savings account to pay for an expected expense. As a student, you should start a sinking fund to purchase next year's manuals and to cover the costs of a conference that you may want to attend. Trust me, when the time arrives you will be grateful that you have the funds to cover these expenses when it's time.
5. Supplement your coursework
You can get lost in a lot of medical jargon reading from your course text or online book. It can become frustrating if you are not understanding a certain topic or coding sequence. Frustration can lead to doubt and you may question if you're able to do this. Yes, you can. Don't give up. You just need to supplement your coursework.
Luckily, we live in a world where you can learn just about anything online. If you are struggling with a certain subject or want to learn more about it, check out YouTube. There are some amazing professional medical coders with their own YouTube channel sharing their expertise, tips, and knowledge about this profession. A few of my favorites are Medical Coding with Bleu, Contempo Coding, and Medical Coding by Jen.
Also, another way to supplement your learning is using anatomy coloring books. This will help familiarize you with the human body and it's fun.
So, don't feel discouraged if a particular topic is difficult. Take it as a cue that you just need a different method or a different perspective to help you learn it.
6. Stay up-to-date
As a medical coding student, you will be focused on class assignments and exams, and prepping for your CPC exam. However, don't allow yourself to have tunnel vision. Medical coding is an ever-evolving and comprehensive career. It is extremely important to stay up to date on ICD-10-CM changes and policies. Implementing this tactic now will help you during your career as a medical coder.
A medical coder must be aware of changes occurring in their field to code correctly. By doing this now as a student it will become natural to do it as a certified coder.
There are several ways to stay current in this field. If you are enrolled in APPC, they offer multiple ways to stay up to date with monthly publications and e-newsletters. If you are enrolled in AHIMA, they have several options on their website to stay current as well through their membership benefits. Whichever course you are enrolled in check out their website or speak to your instructor about how you can stay up to date.
By actively staying up-to-date in this field you are preparing yourself for a successful career as a medical coder.
7. Connect
Once you are a certified coder it is encouraged that you network with others to advance your career, receive career advice, and have access to new technology and information. As a medical coding student, you should do that now.
Connecting with other medical coding students and professionals is beneficial on many levels. Most importantly it builds long-lasting professional and personal relationships.
How can you connect with other medical coding students and professionals? If you are currently enrolled in a course, message fellow students. Or attend health conferences, engage in medical coding forums or Facebook groups, or contact your local chapter to volunteer. Check out the LinkedIn profile of a medical coder you admire and message them.
There are many ways to connect with others in this field. Overcome the fear of initiating that connection. This profession has built an amazing community of medical coders and billers eager to share their knowledge and offer support.
As you go from student to certified medical coder, use this time to build your connections, save for future expenses, and learn how to stay up to date on changes in this field. Preparing now will guarantee your success.
If you have any additional advice on what medical coding students should do now to prepare for this career, please share below.
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