Can I Find A Job With Coding & Medical Assitant Certifications?

[KiaOra]

I am graduating from a Medical Coding & Billing program this August. I then plan to sit for the CPC exam. I will begin my Medical Assistant program this fall and will then sit for the CAAHEP exam. I am also considering taking part in the Electronic Health Records Specialist program. Afterwards I would take the NHA certification test.

I'm just trying to determine if these three credentials despite the fact that I will have NO "hands-on" experience beyond clinicals will make it MUCH MORE likely to find employment in a medical office environment & if I so is making more than an average starting salary ($13.28/hr for medical assistant according to bls.gov) a possibility. My last employment was as a Project Manager for a business services company for three and a half-years & I feel some of that experience could be applicable to a medical office environment ... but *sigh* I realize its not the same.

I've also been hearing from numerous individuals that I won't get into coding without at least two years experience and that medical assistant jobs are on the decline because the workforce is oversaturated. I am beginning to worry about being able to find a job and if my career choice can provide a comfortable life for my family. I am a single mother of three children, two with special needs.

This is what I really want to do and I feel it would suit me and my family well. A few years ago I was considering becoming an RN but then I had to acknowledge a few things. One being that the added "emotional" stress which often comes with the nursing profession would NOT be good for someone in my situation nor would I be able to work the crazy hours I hear so much about.

Just feeling a little apprehensive.

[Madras]

Seeing what medical assistants and billers and coders are being paid these days ( reality=9-12 bucks an hour) then comparing that to the prices these tec schools charge for their programs 13k and up and your doing two of those programs.... I don't think the money is worth the debt, why not try an RN program that's part time. It's doable and probably through a community college (cheaper) and the benefits will be worth it in the end. Do 3 12's a week off 4. Make above 60k, sounds like its worth a little stress

[ashley10]

I am so glad to have found this topic on here today, because I have already studied all of those careers and was once a nursing student. In fact, I also have an adult disabled son who is home all the time, is not able to drive or leave the house (severe social anxiety and other serious emotional disorders) and I was also concerned about the added stress, the long work days, and the possibility of there not being a long term nursing shortage in this area. I feel sure there must be many others thinking along the same lines, wondering which career path to follow: medical office assistant, healthcare administration, medical billing and coding, RN, LPN, Nurse Practitioner, pharmacist technician, pharmaceutical copywriter, phlebotomist, physical therapist, physical therapist assistant, massage therapist, and the list goes on and on, unfortunately. The online degrees offered are so numerous, the schools themselves are so aggressive, and the good and bad points about the medical profession are also just as numerous, it is very difficult for me to decide what to believe, where to invest or apply, and what to study that actually offers a realistic chance of obtaining a good job. Every one of these questions causes me to question whether the health care field is the right choice, and also causes me to wonder if all these schools advertising with degrees for various careers are truly trying to help those seeking work, or simply trying to make a profit. It certainly seems that the educational benefits of a degree don't necessarily guarantee any occupation, no matter how these institutions try to hype their expensive programs. I myself have been wondering about all of these professions, have taken numerous classes in health care and science, and have also studied many other things not related to healthcare at all. I would be very interested to find out how your quest turned out and if you ever decided on a career path that you have found satisfying. At one time, I thought becoming an RN was the best and most logical choice for me but after one semester in a nursing program I quickly discovered that I was not capable of such a strenuous, stressful, demanding, highly skilled occupation and I have since completely changed my direction, and am now studying something I adore. Art, design and Writing. Unfortunately, none of these offer any guarantee of employment, but all are totally rewarding in their own way. Thank you for posting this thread.