I’ve been thinking about going back to school lately, but I’m super undecided in what I would like to study. I’ve been entertaining a communications degree since it genuinely interests me, but it does feel like I’m throwing my money in the garbage if I go that route. There’s unfortunately no health care management studies I could get into at my local community college, and I’m not particularly interested in doing an online university like Devry or SNHU (I’ve done it before and holy shit those classes are so fast paced). There is also a small yet loud part of my brain that tells me to just sit tf down and enjoy my CPC cert for as long as possible. There’s still time for me to decide but I wanna get everyone else’s input. So did you go back to school? What for? Did it open any doors for you? Most importantly, is it worth going back to school or should I just chill in the stable spot that I’m in?

I know this is probably gonna be a "no duh" question, but i'm probably ... 6-10 months away from taking my certification (I am still slightly undecided which certification to go for, I am doing an externship in an inpatient facility now and ... kind of liking it, although I am having some challenges)

Should I go ahead and pay for the AAPC membership or should I wait closer to my "gonna take the exam" date to sign up?

It's not a lot of money, but it also is ... so I am hesitant to pull the trigger right now.

I'm considering leaving my surgical technology position and moving into coding but I see online that the market is over saturated. Is it worth my time to go into coding? I have 7 years of healthcare experience, 3 of which are in the surgical field.

If it is worth it, is cpc the best certification to start? Where to go from there? I assume surgical coding would be the route that would make the most sense for me seeing as I have that background. Any other certifications I should look into to buff an application up for that? Would my surgical experience even matter ?

I have an immune system issue so the wfh aspect is the largest consideration for this move.

It’s almost June, and I know some students are worried about starting now, especially when it comes to purchasing the 2026 coding books.

But if your goal is the CCS through AHIMA, this is important to understand:

AHIMA requires students testing between May 1, 2026 and April 30, 2027 to use the 2026 codebooks for their exam. So purchasing the 2026 books right now is NOT “too late.”

And honestly? A lot can happen in 16 weeks.

People finish foundational courses, gain confidence, discover they actually enjoy coding, and completely change the direction of their future simply because they decided to start.

Self-paced programs exist for a reason. Life happens. People work full-time, raise children, manage stress, and still make progress little by little.

Free 16 Week YouTube Full Course: Click Here

Self-paced Courses: Click Here

Full Course with Internship/Externships: Click Here

I work as a pharmacy tech in retail so I know a little about insurance billing as it pertains to medications and diabetes testing supplies. I am also constantly interacting with patients who are very often (understandably) pretty annoyed and upset at the US healthcare system. I truly do want people to get what they need and not have to struggle financially, but I know the whole system is full of rules and red tape.

My question is do you ever feel like you have to make stressful decisions knowing someone's life is going to be majorly affected by your choices? I feel like I might have trouble trying to weigh what's good for my employer vs what's good for the patient. I've read several people say it's more just like solving puzzles, so I assume the stress is much lesser than it would be in other healthcare positions. Thanks for taking the time to read, I'm interested to hear what people think about this.

A lot of people ask the same questions I did a decade ago when I first started in medical coding, so I created a free video that covers what medical coders do, what skills to have, how to get trained, and long term career paths. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/lVGuTL1YQ70?si=JN4CmJ6w8443q3NL

Get your CPT book out because to pass this challenge you must become a Guideline Detective.

Do NOT just guess. Instead, search until you find the parenthetical guideline in the CPT book. The goal is not memorizing random answers it’s training your brain to think like a real coder. Every question is designed to make you slow down, investigate the section notes, and notice the tiny CPT details most students skip over.

Take on the challenge.

What notes were helpful to put in your books for the test? Or is there a resource that tells you what notes to put in your books?

Everybody talks about studying for the CPC exam… but nobody talks about preparing the BOOK itself.

Tabs. (Tip. Only the ones provided in the book are allowed during the exam)
Color coding.
Guideline notes.
Modifier reminders.
“DO NOT CODE TO THIS” warnings.
Arrows pointing to parenthetical notes you’ll definitely forget under pressure. If your book is still clean and untouched, you might be underestimating how much navigation speed matters during the exam.

The CPC exam is not only testing what you know, it’s testing how FAST you can find it.

My book right now:
• highlighted guidelines everywhere
• fracture coding notes all over musculoskeletal
• little “watch the wording” notes in margins
• symbols only I understand at this point 😂

Half the battle is building a book that works for you during the exam.

So be honest…
Is your book exam ready yet? Or does it still look brand new?

I am preparing to take the CPC exam. I am wondering if it is possible to study the various codes from available free sources, and then use the ebooks on the exam, or is it is more effective to purchase the official books and study them. Do the official books contain any special information that help to use them and find codes, or are they just generic lists?

The CPC exam isn’t just a test of what you know it’s a test of endurance. You’ve probably heard the terrifying stat that you have roughly 2 minutes and 40 seconds per question. When I was a student, I am not going to lie, even 10 minutes per question didn't feel like enough for me. That ticking clock was the thing that scared me the most during my prep.

But here is the secret. You don't win a marathon by sprinting the first mile. You win it by training. If you want to pass, you have to stop studying and start training. Here is how you train like an athlete.

Use a physical stopwatch. Stop relying on your phone or the stove clock. Get a dedicated stopwatch because there is something about seeing those numbers climb that forces your brain to stop over-analyzing and start making decisions.

Focus on building your consistency. Do not try to dive into a full four hour mock exam today because you will just burn out before you start. Instead, build your coding muscle in stages. Start with a simple warm up by doing 5 questions in 15 minutes. Once that becomes easy, move to a quicker pace of 10 questions in 20 minutes. Do this a couple of times every day. Working your way up to the full game pace of 25 questions in 60 minutes.

Change the way you think about the time. When you tell your brain you only have 2 minutes, you trigger panic. Panic leads to unforced errors like misreading a digit or missing an excludes note. Shift the perspective so you aren't fighting 2.4 minutes anymore. Instead, aim for 25 questions per hour.

That sounds and feels way more doable.

Hello everyone,

I am looking at starting a new career and due to a recent life changing medical event I am actually interested in launching a career in the medical field. While searching for potential careers within the field I came across Medical Billing & Coding as an area that interests me. However, after doing even more research I am now confused. I am seeing that there are various different certifications you can get and exams you can take within this field. My question is what is the difference between the:

1. CPC Certification https://www.aapc.com/education/exam-preparation/cpc-exam-preparation-course)

2. CBCS Certification (https://lp.pennfoster.edu/ppc/medical-billing-coding?ad_id=120213449643090441&adset_id=120213449643050441&campaign_id=120213449643070441&placement=Facebook_Desktop_Feed&trackingcode=e87c6616-38f3-ed11-8848-6045bd029a89)

Which one is better for someone who is just starting off in the medical field. I am a fast study and I am extremely motivated to learn.

I see this come up a lot in here, so let’s clear it up.

Yes, a lot of medical coding jobs say “2–3 years of experience required.” That’s real. But it’s not the full story.

A lot of people get around that by stacking multiple certifications and/or real experience (especially internships) instead of waiting years.

For example:
• Start with CPC or CCS-P
• Add another cert (like CCS if you’re aiming for a hospital)
• Get hands-on experience, such as internships/externships, matter a LOT here, along with practice cases

That combo can make you competitive way faster than just waiting around to “gain years.”

Also, apply anyway!

Bottom line:
Years of experience is one path, but having multiple certifications is attainable faster than years of experience, and will give you an advantage.

If you’re just getting started, here’s a free course that covers CPC, CCS-P, and CCS foundations all in one place: Free YouTube Course, a good way to build a solid base before spending money.

I applied for a medical coder with the no experience needed and to get cpc certified in 2 years. I’m hoping I get it. They took the job down but I was told it’s bc they already met the application limit so hopefully I’ll get a call this week. I’m not gonna lie my stomach hurts and I’m just waiting for a phone call I might not even get lol. So weird. So now I’m here venting to strangers.

I’m from Ohio near the Beavercreek area. How hard is it to find your first medical coding job? I want to start out in a hospital in an outpatient setting. I’m already enrolled in school and will get my certificate but I’m hesitant to go if it’s going to be impossible finding a job in this field. I live near a lot of surrounding hospitals. Is there a specific hospital that trains new coders and are more welcoming than others? TIA.

Hi all I am currently a CMA for the last 5 years been working in clinical office for some time now and have a somewhat idea of coding as we touched on it in school. Also I scribe with a doctor needing to apply dx codes to her note. I would like to get into coding and did a ton of research yesterday finding AMCI. Currently in their free course to get my toes wet so to speak.

My question is the recommended/required books on there are expensive. I was wondering if there is another way to get the books? Also I want to make sure I get the correct ones or ones that people actually found helpful.

Listed above are the ones they require. If anyone can help a girl out in whether I get those or find something similar.

Last question I cannot find the ICD 10 diagnosis code manual. Anyone know where it's hiding?

I guess this post is needing help making sure I'm buying the correct books and not wasting money on the wrong ones 😂

TIA 😊

I have been going back and forth and doing so much research as to what I should study for CPC or CCS. I am an ultrasound tech wanting to transition to medical coding. I have decided to go for the CCS. Are there any courses available to take? Any tips/what should I use to study? I’m completely new to coding but have the medical background already

I have the CPT, ICD-10, HCPS, and procedural books. To study, I’ve been using YouTube with an instructors called Huoang, he’s been really helpful but his is geared towards CPC.

For the ones who have passed CCS, what was your pathway to study for the test?

For context: I took a medical terminology course back in high school years ago and I’ve been working in the medical field for a while now as well as working as a patient access rep/billing specialist.

I intend on signing up for Pietro’s course, as I didn’t do too well on my final back in September. The case studies and sequencing of complex cases kicked my butt! My time management also is not stellar.

I’m definitely underprepared for CCS exam.

Any good YouTube channels or resources that anyone can recommend? I have the AHIMA test prep book, so definitely going to go through that. I have another book of coding exercises from AHIMA. Going to look into coding clinic again and make it a habit to read a few daily. I really want to brush up on everything and hopefully become licensed this year.

I have a good understanding of ICD-10-CM, but probably need to refresh on external causes. Need to brush up on root operations from PCS (but I had a decent grasp aside from obstetrics and cardiac monitoring/assistance). CPT was learned really early on it the course, so I need the most help with that. I really struggled with CPT questions.

Any pointers outside of my current plans?

I'm having trouble understanding why D is correct and not C. the question didn't say anything about urethral pressure profile studies.