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05-19-2009, 04:14 PM
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Location: The Land of Oz
112 posts, read 566,161 times
Reputation: 127
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Could someone please tell me what the differance is between medical office technology and medical billing and coding? What is a medical secratery? I am looking forward to going back to school to get a two year degree and I want a job that's in demand and pays good. Is there a differance in pay if you work in a hospital verses a doctor office? Seems like the hospital would pay more but I could be wrong. Thanks so much!
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05-19-2009, 05:33 PM
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Location: Nassau, Long Island, NY
16,408 posts, read 32,043,166 times
Reputation: 7317
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Medical CODING is where the money is of all the different things you listed. BUT, it is hard to get your foot in the door without experience. Medical billing, medical secretary and "medical office technology" (fancy term for medical secretarial work) are low paid, especially in a doctor's office. These are easier to get into without experience because they pay notoriously low. You would do a little better in a hospital regarding pay and benefits though, but still I don't know if it is worth spending the money to go to school for any of these except coding.
Actually, working in a hospital is preferable for ANY type of job to a doctor's office because doctors are notoriously cheap and stingy. Doctors usually only want to hire part time because they don't want to provide health insurance to their workers. If they do provide health insurance, it is usually the bottom of the barrel.
Make sure your school has a placement assistance office. Before you sign up for school, visit the placement assistance office and make them show you job listings they have open and/or have filled. Make them tell you how much the jobs pay. Remember they make their money off YOUR tuition and if there isn't much placement going on or they are placing people in p/t minimum wage jobs, you are just throwing your money down a rathole.
The highest paying and most in demand job in the medical field that requires a 2-year degree at a minimum is a registered nurse. Another good medical position to look into is respiratory therapist.
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05-19-2009, 05:56 PM
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26,588 posts, read 59,794,471 times
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Physical therapy and radiation technologies are big in my area as well.
Also phlebotomy. It doesn't pay as well, but it's a short course (I think around 6 weeks part time.)
That's assuming you want hands on pt care.
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05-19-2009, 07:29 PM
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3,422 posts, read 10,525,824 times
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If you are looking for straight office work, consider getting your RHIT credential. Usually this requires a 2-yr program in Health Information Technology. It will cover the regular office stuff, plus coding (you may get a coding credential along the way), plus records management. There is no hands-on component to this type of healthcare job, but it is a better route than just medical office technology.
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05-20-2009, 08:45 AM
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Location: Western North Carolina
7,057 posts, read 9,645,051 times
Reputation: 16267
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What about just Office Technology? I am planning to start going to the local community college in the fall to get some training in Office Technology, which will include the latest software (Excel, etc.) I have been on my feet for a long time in Retail Management, but I'm getting tired of the hours we work, and as I get older, I want to be able to sit down! I worked as a secretary years ago, but got out before everything got so computerized. I have basic computer knowledge, and decent keyboarding skills. Are good office managers/administrative assistant's in demand at all anymore? I don't want to waste my time and energy if this is not a good idea.
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05-20-2009, 10:57 AM
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2,365 posts, read 10,877,229 times
Reputation: 695
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MusicBoxBallerina74
Could someone please tell me what the differance is between medical office technology and medical billing and coding? What is a medical secratery? I am looking forward to going back to school to get a two year degree and I want a job that's in demand and pays good. Is there a differance in pay if you work in a hospital verses a doctor office? Seems like the hospital would pay more but I could be wrong. Thanks so much!
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I think medical coding sounds interesting (although not for me, lol), but there is a poster on here, who works as a medical coder for clients both in and outside of the united states.
And so, that sounded very cool!!
goodluck!
p.s. I worked as a medical transcriptionist and that is relatively well -paid. Not really, but for people who are used to making 10 bucks an hour, a bump up to 14 to 16, is good! I worked for a private company that provided transcription services. I also worked for business transcription service company, but that paid less.  |
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05-20-2009, 12:37 PM
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Location: Nassau, Long Island, NY
16,408 posts, read 32,043,166 times
Reputation: 7317
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Quote:
Originally Posted by montanamom
What about just Office Technology? I am planning to start going to the local community college in the fall to get some training in Office Technology, which will include the latest software (Excel, etc.) I have been on my feet for a long time in Retail Management, but I'm getting tired of the hours we work, and as I get older, I want to be able to sit down! I worked as a secretary years ago, but got out before everything got so computerized. I have basic computer knowledge, and decent keyboarding skills. Are good office managers/administrative assistant's in demand at all anymore? I don't want to waste my time and energy if this is not a good idea.
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Find out how much jobs pay in your area and if there are enough jobs out there so that you can get something after you graduate. As for office technology/office work, medical offices are the lowest paying, offer the least hours, and offer the least in the way of benefits, and usually don't even offer a 401(k). If you want to specialize in some sort of office work, go for legal. If not, just get general office technology training. I would not recommend being an office worker in a medical office. Even here in the relatively high-wage NYC area, the working conditions and the pay and benefits are horrendous. If it weren't for little housewives who have their hubby to supply the bennies and who are working just to get "out of the house for a few hours" I don't know how doctor's offices would survive on Long Island because that is who makes up most of their workforce. If you really need to earn a living, do not stake your bet on medical offices. |
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05-20-2009, 12:39 PM
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Location: Nassau, Long Island, NY
16,408 posts, read 32,043,166 times
Reputation: 7317
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gea12345
I worked as a medical transcriptionist and that is relatively well -paid.
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These days with the outsourcing of the work to India, Philippines, etc., the large medical transcription service organizations whose executives pay themselves like rock stars, and the jobs available to Americans being bumped down from full transcribing (and the pay being bumped down to half of what it used to be, yet it takes more than half the time to do it) to either proofing and correcting the offshore worker's output or proofing and correcting speech recognition, medical transcription is a dead end for an American. |
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05-20-2009, 06:29 PM
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2,365 posts, read 10,877,229 times
Reputation: 695
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MusicBoxBallerina74
Could someone please tell me what the differance is between medical office technology and medical billing and coding? What is a medical secratery? I am looking forward to going back to school to get a two year degree and I want a job that's in demand and pays good. Is there a differance in pay if you work in a hospital verses a doctor office? Seems like the hospital would pay more but I could be wrong. Thanks so much!
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Even though this was thrown in as background info and does not address your question, the following link is the BLS data on Med. Trans. should it prove interesting.
Medical Transcriptionists
Occupational Employment, Training, and Earnings Data Home Page
Good luck!! |
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05-20-2009, 08:44 PM
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2,365 posts, read 10,877,229 times
Reputation: 695
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