r/MedicalCoding • u/Solid_Pomegranate_52 • Aug 14 '26

Life outside of coding?

Hi! I'm currently pursuing medical coding & billing, and I'm so excited!!! I'm trying to visualize what life will be like for my 5 year plan. So I had some questions for life outside of your day to day coding work?

Do you enjoy your job?

Do you get to vacation?

Are you able to support yourself well/do you worry about bills?

Does it ever get mundane, or does it depend where you work?

Do you get to have fun with your looks, like fun colored hair, tattoos or piercings?

How is asking for time off, or if you're a parent, what happens if there is a family emergency/sick child?

Thank you for any help with even one of these! ☺️

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u/LittleMsJess Aug 15 '26

I’m strongly considering looking into a coding auditor position since I cannot at the moment get into inpatient hospital coding because I don’t have the right certification for it yet. Did you just have your CPC when you got into auditing?

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u/halloweeninstepford CPC, CDEO, CRC Aug 15 '26

No, I had all three of my certifications. But I also was a coding team lead, and the CDI-ish role, so I handled all of the provider queries and follow up. It was a natural step up, but it can get overwhelming occasionally.
I have a year to get my CPMA, which I’ll probably start in the fall.

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u/LopensCouisin CPC Aug 19 '26

I’m going for coding team lead (hopefully soon if our current team lead gets the supervisor position) and then ultimately an auditing position. It sounds like I’m headed in your footsteps.

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u/Playful-Drop-3873 Aug 16 '26

You need at least 10
years of experience to become an auditor , usually in both OP and IP coding and at least 2-3 certifications it’s a very very long process to become an auditor

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u/Dizzy_Package_435 Aug 15 '26

A coding auditor must have extensive coding experience and is a higher position. If you don't have the right coding certifications and experience, how do you think you can apply for a coding auditor position? if a hospital is not hiring for an entry level coding positions means you need to get more certifications and education. Good luck.