# Medical coding &/or transcription



## Tabitha (Aug 29, 2009)

Is anyone here a coder or transcriptionist?


----------



## rubato456 (Aug 29, 2009)

i used to do some transcription and i have some knowledge of medical coding but it's been a while....


----------



## nickjuly (Aug 29, 2009)

Am in college now for RHIT (Registered Health Information Technician) degree but is my first semester. Had 1 class in CPT and ICD basic coding  earlier this year before I changed majors.


----------



## Saltysteele (Aug 29, 2009)

I'm a transcriptionist, part-time.

I used to do it full time up until a couple years ago, but now just do it part-time.


----------



## carebear (Aug 29, 2009)

Is it something I can learn from home?  I feel the need to branch out.  And I want to have a lot of options under my belt -cuz things are getting scary at my company - again.


----------



## Saltysteele (Aug 29, 2009)

I actually kinda fell into it.  My wife and I went to one of those seminars you see being held in hotel conference rooms.

She signed up for the course, and I just kind of took it along with her, although I was never actually signed up for it.  

Well, she got a job in a medical records office, so stopped doing the course like 2 chapters from the end (where about marketing yourself, so not totally necessary).

Well, with her job, she was dealing with the gal who owned the transcription company (my wife is kind of like the administrator of the program they use), and the gal lost a transcriptionist and needed someone fast.  So, my wife told me to go meet with her, and viola.

The hardest part about medical transcription is getting a job.  Everyone wants people with experience.  HTH do you get experience when nobody will hire you?   :roll: 

Anyway, it is possible.  I've known a couple transcriptionists who also did at-home learning.

You have to be able to make yourself get out of bed and typing every morning.  That can be difficult when it's beautiful outside.  Although, nowadays, you can just take your laptop outside with ya.


----------



## carebear (Aug 29, 2009)

Mr Steele, was it an "at home" course?  Can you recommend a company?


----------



## rubato456 (Aug 29, 2009)

i took some courses at our local community college. it was cheap and i found to be quite good. i ended up not staying with it because of the high rate of typing that was required. i could do it but i have carpal tunnel in both wrists majorly and even with the surgery for this i had chronic problems so i had to give it up.


----------



## carebear (Aug 30, 2009)

community college is a good idea, I should check the one here.  I'd love an at home course because as a single mom, babysitting can be an issue.  But absolutely a GREAT idea.


----------



## Saltysteele (Aug 30, 2009)

carebear, yes it was an at-home course of study.  the place was called "At-Home Professions"

I am, right now, about to finish up an online course for respiratory therapy, and have been working as a respiratory technician for 3 years now. Couple more classes and I'll be a respiratory therapist.

I believe they also have a course in medical transcription, but not sure.  check out Independence University (used to be California College of Health Sciences).

I understand your predicament.  My wife worked at the hospital, and i worked at home as a transcriptionist.  I also had my daughter at home with me.  We couldn't afford to put her in daycare while I went to school for respiratory therapy, and i also couldn't afford to take time off to go to school.  while i would have rather taken a traditional course in RT, CCHS is a highly accredited on-line program for RT

I made a decent living at it.  But, between my daughter (she was 2-1/2 when I went I quit transcription full time and went to work at the hospital) and working, it felt like I was working 24/7, aside from when I was sleeping.  I think it would have been different if my daughter hadn't been so needy (can't just leave a baby in the swing for 10 hours at a time).


----------



## Tabitha (Aug 30, 2009)

I just started classes this week.  Pell grants paid for it in full. They are all online but they are throught my local jr college up the street. Some of the classes look super hard! One class is human disease. The cert is for both coding & transcripts.

Is it as hard as it looks? There seems to be a ton of info to memorize.


----------



## Saltysteele (Aug 30, 2009)

Nah, not to hard.  It's all about root words, man and joining methods.  For instance, acromioclavicular.  Combination of acromion and clavicle, typically describing the joint in the shoulder.  Glenohumeral = glenoid and humerus.

Just take your time and don't just memorize, but "understand."  Know what I mean?  Some things will be self explanatory, some will take a bit more effort.

It's just like learning a language, because after all, that's what it is.


----------



## chrisinflorida (Aug 30, 2009)

I was a medical transcriptionist for 2 years.  Just quit this past June and have never been happier since I quit.

You can read about the good and the bad of medical transcription on this forum http://forum.mtstars.com/main/

Chris


----------



## rubato456 (Aug 30, 2009)

i didn't find the classes to be hard, but i have a fairly strong interest in medicine, i read the merck manual at night for enjoyment.....i know that's pretty weird but i've always been that way, very interested in medicine. unfortunately i have had my share of weird medical problems and so have my kids so i have had reason to be very well informed on medical topics. as was mentioned, understanding the roots makes it easier to do the memorization.


----------



## Saltysteele (Aug 30, 2009)

i didn't read the website.  don't need it to form my own opinions.  everyone is going to view the job differently, and it depends on your employer.  I worked for people that were awesome, and cared for the transcriptionist.  

i find it to be pretty interesting.  my fav was doing ED reports, as you get everything - from sliver removal to personal massage devices inserted into a one-way orifice, while it was still on.  once removed, was said to be a pretty pink.


----------



## Tabitha (Aug 30, 2009)

:shock:


----------



## Saltysteele (Aug 30, 2009)

lmao

i could just imagine the clattering of the device on the plastic chairs in the triage area (i know it wouldn't actually be making contact with the chair, but adds to the funny)


----------



## ilovedoxies (Aug 31, 2009)

I would assume it's like learning a different language... once you get the hang of it tho it should be ok.  Like anything else, the more you work with it the more easily it comes to you.  

A woman who works in my home office does it part time from home and has for many years.  

That's a great opportunity that it is paid in full w/grants you do not have to pay back.  A free education is quite a blessing.  

Best of luck!!


----------



## Tabitha (Jan 14, 2011)

I AM DONE!

I completed my classes, going full-time,  in 1 1/2 years. I am qualified to take both boards but have chosen coding. My NATIONAL exam is tomorrow mornings at 7:30 and lasts 5 1/2 hours!


----------



## heyjude (Jan 14, 2011)

Congrats on finishing the course and good luck tomorrow, Tabitha.


----------



## ChrissyB (Jan 14, 2011)

Good Luck Tab!
I'm sure you'll pass with flying colours!!


----------



## Deda (Jan 14, 2011)

WooHoo!


----------



## pixybratt (Jan 15, 2011)

Tabitha said:
			
		

> I AM DONE!
> 
> I completed my classes, going full-time,  in 1 1/2 years. I am qualified to take both boards but have chosen coding. My NATIONAL exam is tomorrow mornings at 7:30 and lasts 5 1/2 hours!



Congratulations, and don't forget to have breakfast before the exam 5.5 hours is a long time for a test.


----------



## Tabitha (Jan 16, 2011)

OMG! There were 16 of us taking the test & only 2 finished before the buzzer went off. I am confident that every answer I took my time & looked up was spot-on correct, which was probably 120 -125 out of the 150 questions. The last 25-30 were guesses. The last 10 of which I just bubbled the test form in & did not even read the question because the 5 minute buzzer went off.

 I won't have my results for 7-10 days. If I had known I would run out of time I would have paced myself better. I checked and double checked each answer before I made my selection. If I had known I would run out of time I would have skipped some of the double checking. Some answers you could figure frontward or backwards & on those I figured them both ways to make sure I got the same answer each time, again using time I did not have to spare. 

 If I had just 1 more hour I would have gotten at least 146 out of the 150 correct. The whole last hour I got into a panic too because it became obvious to me I would run out of time.


----------



## Hazel (Jan 16, 2011)

I'm sure you did fine. How many did you need to pass?


----------



## Tabitha (Jan 16, 2011)

It is the standard 70% to pass, I would need 106 correct answers to score a 70%.


----------



## Hazel (Jan 16, 2011)

Well, try to relax and don't stress too much. Since you double checked, etc, you're sure to have passed. I'm surprised you have to wait so long to hear the results.


----------

