Although many people may think that pursuing medical billing and coding training can be done anywhere, there are definite benefits to studying in the classroom with one on one attention and support. If you have recently walked into a majority of college classrooms or even online schools, you will know that is a major area of lack. Small class sizes and one one one instructor support seem to be becoming a thing of the past even though it’s evident that they provide the support that students need to be successful.
For some career paths, it may be simple to get what you need from a large lecture hall or online without classmates to talk to and individualized instructor help. However, for those in the medical billing and coding field, or really the healthcare field as a whole, it is best to pursue that education with the benefits that small class sizes, personalized instruction, hands-on practice, professional skills training, and an externship experience provide. At Ross, we offer all of these as part of each of our programs.
Hands-on practice for your hands-on healthcare career
No matter what kind of healthcare career you are pursuing, all of them are hands-on. Although as a medical biller and coder, you may not be part of the clinical side of things in a healthcare facility, even working on the administrative side is extremely hands-on. You will likely be working in an office or other facility alongside those doing the clinical tasks, dealing daily with patients, insurance companies, and other healthcare professionals.
At Ross, we provide experienced instructors, small class sizes, and the most up-to-date tools and resources we can get into your hands. The weeks you spend in the classroom will be filled with learning new information, the “language” of billing and coding, but it will also include practical scenarios and practice with your classmates. However, we also know that all the hands-on practice you need will likely not be complete in the classroom. That’s why we built an externship experience into our programs.
After spending your time in the classroom, working to become an expert in all the aspects of your new career path, you will get the opportunity to go out into the field and get real life experience in a medical office or other healthcare facility. Our Career Services team works hard to match you with an ideal site in the community to get the hands-on experience and specialized practice that you want and need. During this time, you will get a first hand look at what goes on in the life of a medical biller and coder. You will also learn what it’s like to be a part of an office team instead of just a classroom team. Then, you can come back together with your class to share about your experiences. At the end of this time, you are on your way into the field!
Small class sizes with a dedicated instructor and classmates
A small, personal classroom setting with an experienced instructor and a small group of classmates quickly begins to feel more like a family. The small size build trust and gives each student the freedom to ask questions and review concepts that may be more difficult or confusing. Medical billing and coding training includes a lot of new and foreign material, and it’s important to have the freedom and confidence to ask questions and make mistakes.
The relationships built within the classroom with both instructor and other students help you to bond with one another and establish comfort and safety with the material. You have a built in support network and study group within the walls of your classroom. Those friendships and supports can provide you with the motivation you need to continue to pursue your educational and career goals.
Also, after school is over and you are out in the field, those classmates, and maybe even your instructor, may very well be your co-workers and connections in the healthcare community. At Ross, all of our instructors are experienced in their field. So, your instructor will have real life stories of what it’s like to work in as a medical biller and/or medical coder. They may also have community connections to help you move forward in your career.
Professional skills and personalized support
In addition to the externship experience and the real life job training that provides, it’s important to practice professional skills like interviewing, interpersonal interaction, and resume writing. At Ross, our Career Services team, classroom instructors, and other staff make a point to prepare you as much as is in their power to be successful in your future career.
As a medical biller and coder, you’ll be interacting with a variety of people throughout the course of a typical day. That makes communication skills and habits extremely important. Because you’ll be talking with a range of different types of individuals, it’s necessary to be able to communicate well with each one of them. It’s also important to give a good first impression not only for yourself, but also for the facility in which you work.
Ross staff dedicates time to discussions about how to dress to impress for a healthcare interview and how to write a resume that will wow a hiring manager. In fact, they even welcome in hiring managers from local healthcare facilities to hold mock interviews with medical billing and coding students. These healthcare professionals from the community offer feedback and advice to future healthcare workers.
Are you interested in pursuing a medical billing and coding career? Ross Medical Education Center offers training in their Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration program at nearly 40 campuses across seven states! To learn more about this program, visit the Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration program page.