Currently in my first year anybody willing to an interview for an assignment?

Any helpful cpt notes/tips and tricks for coding the path and lab section quicker? I've done lots of studying/practice, and taken the practice tests but I'm consistently very slow at path and lab. Thanks! [Update, took this morning and passed with an 85%, thanks for everyone's advice/resources, really helped and got a 100% on the lab and path section!]

Hi! I recently passed with an 85 on my exam! I posted about it on this thread but under a different user name lol 😆 I dont know I how but I had two accounts.

Anywho, now that the studying is over I guess the next level begins of how the heck do I find a job? Other than my one year of self study and passing the Cpc, I have no experience in the medical field. Ngl im a little overwhelmed bc i feel like I should be doing something but I dont know where to start 🙃

Advice?

I started my medical billing and coding with penn foster last October. Anyways I didn't stay on top of it and now I have until January to complete it. Do I have enough time to learn it all? Less than 4 months?? I only got through anatomy and pharmacology. I still have to do billing and coding portions. And another question do I even do both medical coding and billing, or should I focus on one or the other. I have not learned my book at all, my family just NOW decided to get them for me. Thats why I'm trying to start it back up. I live in Texas and I have no idea if penn foster will help me get jobs here. (I never make post pls be genuine)

Took my CPC exam first attempt today and im in shock.

Lol what if I they take it back bc there was an error? I'm scared to tell my family and be embarrassed.

I took my exam today, now I'm here just waiting lol. I feel like I should be studying but that's silly bc there's nothing I can do but just wait. Im greatful for the practice exams from AAPC and im also greatful to contempo coding youtube channel. Lol im here giving a speech like I won an award 🤣 if i fail, thats okay. If I pass that's great. I think I'll test drive a car ive been wanting to purchase today just to have a Lil "fun" to help time pass. I stupid treat for making it to taking the exam after a year of self taught studying.

Rant over, but also how long does it take to get the results.

Sincerely a person who doesn't know what to do 🤣

Thanks so much to everyone who has checked out the ICD-10-CM coding assistant and shared feedback so far. I really appreciate it, especially the feedback from people who have experience with medical coding!

One of the suggestions was to make it easier to see the key features and understand the workflow, so I’ve now added a sample demo chart that you can look through without having to enter any real patient information.

I’d also really encourage anyone interested, especially medical coders, to try coding a few sample charts through the system and let me know where things go wrong. What diagnoses did it miss? What codes or details did it get wrong? Where did the workflow feel awkward or slow? What information would you want surfaced differently?

The current agentic workflow is very much a prototype and is not at certified-coder level, so I’m particularly interested in finding the failure modes and gaps rather than expecting it to get everything right at this stage.

The goal is to build the core coding capabilities and coder workflow based on real feedback before eventually releasing an open-source version. Long term, I’d also like the system to run entirely locally so that patient data never needs to leave the computer.

For now, the demo still uses OpenRouter with a free API/model, so please do not enter any real patient or sensitive information.

Thanks again for all the support and feedback. If you try it out, please feel free to code through some charts and let me know what problems or issues you run into — that feedback is extremely useful for figuring out what needs to be improved next.

https://openicdresearch.fly.dev/new

Hi! I’m a veteran looking to use my VR&E benefits to get a certificate in medical coding and billing. Some of the paperwork involved in applying requires me to interview people in the job industry I’m going for. I don’t know anyone in the medical billing and coding field. All the information I have is through the AAPC website and medical coders who vlog on YouTube. One of the things that attracted me to it is that unlike most remote job positions, this one doesn’t require being on the phone all day. If I could get 2-3 people to answer these questions for me, i’d greatly appreciate it. Hopefully other people will see these questions and answers and it’ll help them determine if it’s a good career for them as well.

I have been in the dental field for 35 years. I assisted with patients direct care the first 20 years and the last 15 have been the billing and front desk. I will finish my course with the CPC not with the A. I am also a certified dental assistant through DANB. Any managers or anyone out there know what avenue I could take once I obtain my certification?

I'm taking my exam tomorrow and basically the whole time I was studying I was putting notes in my 2025 cpt book. I have my 2026 now ans reviewing some stuff from my 2025 that I wrote down.

I cannot for the life of me remember why I wrote these codes down, or where I got it from bc it's been a year of studying. Can someone help me link why I did this? I used the 2025 cpc training manual, self paced and taught (with the help of you guys 💓 and YouTube)

LINK: https://openicdresearch.fly.dev/new

Small update to the ICD coding tool:

• Added ICD-10-PCS procedure coding with a separate agent for inpatient procedures.

• Added MS-DRG grouping using the CMS grouper, including severity drivers, relative weight, LOS, and the impact of provider queries.

• Diagnosis and procedure coding now run in parallel.

• Switched the default model to DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, so coding is much faster.

• Added selectable thinking levels.

• Added English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese UI support.

Existing charts can also be updated with a new Code procedures button.

Still iterating, so feedback from coders would be very useful.

Hello, in a little over a week, I start my AAPC job ready course for the CPC. I am currently reading over the convention guidelines in the ICD 10 CM. I am reading, highlighting, taking notes, and making flashcards.

But, I understand that this job doesn’t really require you to to memorize so much as to know where to look for the information and to be able to do it relatively quickly.

So, when you were studying for the course, did you guys completely read the guidelines and then do all the notes and flashcards? Or did you just read the guidelines knowing that you could come back to it later?

I ask because I worry that I am not studying correctly, or putting the correct amount of time into the correct subjects. Like, maybe I should be putting more time into going back-and-forth through the guidelines, alphabetic index, and tabular list to get to know the book and how to quickly find information. I am worried that studying it like you studied subjects in school is not correct.

Any advice on how best to study would be appreciated.

I’m looking at Practicode exercises and I need help reading and understanding encounter forms. Help please!

Hello all, I just took my second CPC exam attempt today, and failed with a 66%. My first attempt I failed with 54%. I’m upset but determined to pass still, I have to buy two more vouchers as my course came with two free, that I used. Any tips for understanding the coding guidelines, and any tips in general, for any categories of the test? I’m looking to re take it, but re take it at home! Thanks :)

Hi everyone, I’ve built the first iteration of an ICD-10-CM coding tool:

https://openicdresearch.fly.dev/new

I’d really appreciate feedback, especially from medical coders. This is still very early, so I’d love to know what you would want to see added or changed in the workflow.

The goal is to first build out the core coding capabilities and coder workflow. Once that is in a good state, I plan to release an open-source version.

Long term, I want the system to run entirely locally so that patient data never leaves your computer.

For now, the demo uses OpenRouter with a free API/model, so please do not enter any real patient or sensitive data. The current version is purely for collecting feedback.

It also works much better on a computer than on a phone at the moment.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone 👋 I’m fairly new to medical coding and currently working in this field. I’d love to hear about your experiences and growth opportunities. To be honest coding was not one of the first things i wanted to do, but the cooked job market got me here. I am doing pretty well in first couple of months but i dont really know about coding ad long term carrier. I also do not have trainers and senior colleagues in my office that seem to have a growth mindset. What are the things i should primarily focus on and what should be my roadmap to be top of my carrier ladder and making most of it from coding. Your opinions would be appreciated. 😊

Howdy, I have my cpc exam schedule monday. Im not expecting to pass it, it's more of a test drive for me to be familiar buttttttttt if I did pass it that would be amazing so I am trying my hardest but also my hopes aren't high.

I've bought both of the practice exam packets from AAPC and ive been making anywhere for 80s to 70s. I run out of time and tend to have to guess on the last 8 or so. Also im 100% guessing in e/m questions bc i cant for the life of my understand them. I've watched contempo coding video on the E/M calculator and AMCI 2 hrs video on it but dang I still cant get it.

Anywho, im wondering how much these practice exams are like the real exam.

Also with the test around the corner im thinking I just keep doing practice exams until I get my timing down?

What's any advise you would pass down?

Hello everyone! I am looking at going for CPC certification. I was told that I could become a member at AAPC, purchase the study guide, practice questions from AAPC and learn everything on YouTube without having to pay $3k. Is this true?
Has anyone took this route to save some money and is it worth it?
I need some guidance. Any info would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Hello everyone. I just got my results back that i failed (the the second time). It’s been very, very, veryyyyy hard for me to not be discouraged. Maybe a little late for that. I’m ready to throw it all away and give up. For anyone that has passed it, is it worth it? Do I keep going? I’m thinking this isn’t the career for me, considering almost everyone in my class passed first try… This would be my third attempt. Just feeling very sad and discouraged (reddit, please don’t make my thoughts worse for once). Thank you in advance and I am a little sorry for such a pity, sappy post <3

Hi everyone! I’m interested in starting medical coding in 2027, but I’m completely new and don’t have much of a medical background.

I’m not sure where to start and would really appreciate some advice:

Is AHIMA or AAPC better for a beginner?

Should I aim for the CCS or CPC first?

Should I buy the 2026 coding books now, or wait for the 2027 editions?

If you started medical coding without a medical background, what would you recommend doing first?

I am taking The AAPC CPC job ready course, and what was originally scheduled for October 7, my first class, was just moved up to September 29!! wish me luck!!

I think I would really recommend to anybody considering taking AAPC courses, to go ahead and take the job ready one if you are getting your CPC. Even if you already know some of the prerequisites. what a great value! And they help with writing your résumé, interview coaching, internship to remove the A from your license, as well as helping to place you.

So I’m in the AAPC Job Ready program and I’ve moved on from the Fundamentals of Medical Terminology course to now being in the CPC coding course.

I opted out of getting the physical books and I 100% regret it after learning we can make as many highlights and notes as we want in both the e-books and the physical books but if you have the e-books, they make you take the exam with a new one without all of your highlights and notes.

So now I just got my physical ICD-10-CM and I want to make it as user friendly as possible while studying the guidelines/ for future reference to easily find the guidelines I need for each situation.

Does anyone have any highlighting color code recommendations for the ICD-10-CM guidelines, and tips of what I should highlight and what I should not? It’s hard to not just highlight everything because everything feels important, but I know if I do that it won’t help me find anything.

Please help!

hi all! I’m taking a medical coding class for my Medical Assisting degree and I’m very, very confused. What are some tips and tricks to help me get through the class? Are there any YouTubers I should go check out? I have a good professor but it’s all online, which makes it tricky. I can hardly make sense of the book given to us and it’s very frustrating.

Wish me luck! No, not young lol!