If you’re interested in entering the medical profession, there are number of ways that you can do it. Two of the most popular options, are medical billing and coding, and nursing. While nursing is focused on providing patient care and basic diagnosis, medical coding revolves around accurate data entry of standardized patient records. If you’re planning your education and your career, these may be two of the options that you’re considering. The decision can be difficult and it’s not one to be taken lightly, so it can help to compare the pathway to both of these professions, so you can find the one that fits your short and long term goals.
Training to Become a Nurse
There are a few different options when it comes to training to be a nurse. The one you choose can have a significant impact on your future job prospects. The fastest way is to study for an associate’s degree in nursing. This is typically a two year course with full time study, but can take up to four years, depending on how and where you learn. This will be the quickest way to find employment as a nurse, and will give you education in anatomy and general nursing skills.
The alternative, and arguably the better route towards nursing, is studying for a bachelor’s degree. This can take three to four years of full time study, and will provide you with better career opportunities. Because the course will be more comprehensive, you will study different areas of nursing and health, which may help you to specialize or even work towards a doctorate in medicine at a later stage of your career.
As you can imagine, both of these options include intensive training, and depending on where you study, they can be costly. If you are looking for a faster way to get into the medical profession without limiting your career opportunities or ability to earn good money, then you might be more interested in medical coding training in Baton Rouge Louisiana.
Why Training for Medical Procedure Code is Often More Desirable
If your key short and mid-term goals are to start working as a professional in the medical industry, then a certificate course in medical coding can help you to achieve your goal with just one year of full time study. Coding is highly specialized, which means that there aren’t as many different branches as nursing. You’ll end up working in the same industry, but with a very different skillset.
In school, you will learn how to take customer medical records and accurately transcribe them into industry standard codes. These codes help to ensure patients get the right care, the right insurance coverage, and they even help government agencies to track health statistics across the country. Coders are currently in high demand, with strong job growth expected up until 2024. The median salary for an entry level coder is over $37,000, and experienced coders can earn more over time. Although this sits slightly below the figures for nursing, the fact that you won’t have a huge student loan can help to offset some of the salary difference.
Most importantly, coding is not a closed career path, and you could find yourself moving into management, hospital administration, or you may even choose to take your experience and pursue nursing at a later time in your career.
Of course, to get started, you’ll need to enroll in a medical coding program in Baton Rouge Louisiana.
Study at ITI Technical College
ITI is a great choice to learn coding in Louisiana. You’ll get expert support from a faculty that has real industry experience, and you’ll learn in an environment that emulates the busy offices of medical centers, hospitals, and HMOs. Talk to us today about admissions process and take a step in your career that will bring you financial rewards and excellent job satisfaction.
For more information about graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website: https://iticollege.edu/disclosures/
