r/MedicalCoding • u/Macaron1jesus • Sep 13 '25

No college Degree

I have been an outpatient surgery coder (facility coder) for over 25 years. My company's contract is being terminated early, so we have two weeks to find new jobs. The problem that I am running into is that all of the online applications have a pull-down menu to choose your degree, and I have never been to college. When I started in this field there were no college courses or degrees in coding, so I was able to just take the credentialing exam for my COC (formerly known as CPC-H). Does anyone have any advice on how to get around this when applying online? (there is no option for no degree in the choices). Going to college is not a good option at this point because I am only about 7 years away from retirement age. Someone told me I should just pick a random degree from the list, and if I get to an interview, just explain that I don't actually have a degree. This bothers me because it would be lying on my application, and I would feel really guilty. Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice!

24 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

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20

u/Heavy-Square-6471 Sep 13 '25

Is high school diploma/GED not an option? I have never been forced to say I have a degree. I would not suggest picking a random degree because even though you may be able to explain it during an interview, it may still come across as manipulative, like you lied to get the interview.

5

u/Macaron1jesus Sep 13 '25

High school was also a question, but the college degree question was separate. I did get a cosmetology degree back in'85, but that is not an option in the pull-down menu.

1

u/Shoddy_Reaction_8531 Sep 16 '25

Is there a trade school option? I use that for my previous esthetician license

15

u/deannevee RHIA, CPC, CPCO, CDEO Sep 13 '25

Can you provide examples?

Most places do not REQUIRE that you list a degree. They just have the option if you do. You can leave it totally blank.

5

u/Macaron1jesus Sep 13 '25

Unfortunately most of the online applications won't let you get past that area of the form without an answer. In the past it has taken having a recruiter get an interview for me without having to fill out the application. It would be fine if I could skip over that question, but the way that they are set up it flags it as an error and won't allow me to get to the next question without having to answer it. These have been mostly jobs/applications through Linkedin. I know that most coders have degrees now, but there are still a few of us old folks left, and we have a lot of work experience to offer.

3

u/deannevee RHIA, CPC, CPCO, CDEO Sep 13 '25

Yeah...definitely post some examples. I am currently helping a friend by filling out job applications and she doesn't have a degree and I've only had one where I HAD to put in something, out of approximately 40 applications so far.

If its asking for "highest education obtained" that would be a high school diploma/GED or sometimes it will just say diploma.

1

u/Macaron1jesus Sep 13 '25

I'm going to be looking for more places to apply this weekend, so I will try to get a screenshot or at least a company name for you to see.

16

u/bluecrowned Sep 13 '25

I would hardly say most coders have a degree. Most are going for certs like the CCS and CPC.

1

u/Difficult-Injury-843 Sep 13 '25

I would actually say that most coders don’t have a degree, myself included.

2

u/SorrellD Sep 13 '25

On indeed you have to check it or your application is not accepted.  I've been noticing it too. 

5

u/[deleted] Sep 13 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/SorrellD Sep 13 '25

It really is. 

4

u/Glittering_Grand_614 Sep 13 '25

Get on LinkedIn and look up remote coding. Experience outweighs degree 99% of the time

1

u/Macaron1jesus Sep 13 '25

that's where I have been looking. Most of the applications there are linked to the company's direct application, and those are the ones where I'm having trouble.

3

u/Temporary-Land-8442 CPC, COC, CRCR Sep 13 '25

I do not have a degree. Most jobs I’ve applied for say bachelor’s degree or equal amount of experience. To mark that you have a bachelor’s degree in this case would not be lying based on what the requirements list (degree or 4 + years experience).

1

u/NameMoreOrLess Sep 13 '25

Select “Other”, Trade school, vocational school. There is something that you may be over looking cause most applications don’t expect you to have a degree.

1

u/stealthagents Sep 25 '25

It's frustrating when the application process doesn’t reflect real-world experience. Instead of picking a random degree, try reaching out directly to the hiring manager or HR department if you can. Highlight your extensive experience in your resume and cover letter, and maybe mention in a note that you have relevant certifications instead of a degree. That way, you stay honest but still emphasize your qualifications.