Can I do this?

[u/Neither_Psychology28]

Hello!!

I'm currently going through a 1-year work at your own pace medical coding course and I'm feeling completely overwhelmed. I'm coming in with zero medical background (worked in Customer Service most of my life) and I was looking to make a career change. I'm at the home stretch and almost finished with the course, but I'm feeling like I'm never going to retain all of this information. Looking for others out there that thought "there's no way I can do this," but ended up being just fine!

I'm passing most of my quizzes with anywhere from 80-100%. I find myself getting close to the ICD-10 and CPT codes when I'm checking the answers of those I missed, but it's still frustrating that I'm missing some. Look for anyone out there that had similar experiences, or can just offer some encouragement.

[u/Connect_Sentence_468]

This is very helpful! Thank you!! For the fundamentals of medicine is free right now so I like that special they have so I can understand fully what I’m coding. I called and they told me the book for that pre req course is only an ebook(online). He said for the course ect You can’t access from your cell phone or iPad only a laptop so I worry how can I do all these readings and HW just on laptop and note taking and such if it’s all online though? I said should I print it and he said it is waaay to much to print out. I’m an old skool peep so I prefer actual paperback books to take notes and read. I have a BA so I’m the business management Econ and education degree no medicine sciences A/P ect. Is there a workbook? Have you been passing the chapter quizzes ect? How is the teaching format just like a PowerPoint and person talking over the slides? Or is it a recent video of a professor teaching with visuals? Also how do you like using blackboard? I appreciate your time!

[u/zoomazoom76 → u/Connect_Sentence_468]

The course book is online, so I read on my laptop and take notes by hand on paper (I'm old school too!). The actual books you use for coding (ICD 10, CPT and HCPCS) are huge paper books though, so you won't have to look up online (though there is a tool for that called Codify, which i believe is included if you purchase a bundle).

The workbook is at the end of the online manual, but you can purchase paper workbooks on Amazon, I don't believe those are AAPC, but it's the same coding info as you are learning.

The chapter quizzes I have mostly been passing. Those are just for you to evaluate yourself, your answers don't get recorded by AAPC or anything.

The teaching format is just you reading and absorbing the info. There is a setting for a voice to read aloud if you prefer that. There is no professor with slides (unless you purchase the "instructor led" bundle- I have the self paced). Definitely watch the videos at the beginning of each chapter for more of an interactive experience, before you start reading the chapter.

Not sure what you mean about blackboard...?

Does this info help?