ADVANCE Perspective: HIM : Education

AHIMA 2009: The Next Generation

Cheryl McEvoy — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:22:00 GMT

My first day at the 2009 American Health Information and Management Association (AHIMA) Convention and Exhibit is off to a great start. I attended the Student Academy this morning, where Barbara Black, director of human resources, and Gwen Hughes, director...(read more)

What a Difference a Year Makes

Cheryl McEvoy — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:51:00 GMT

Around this time last year, I was schlepping clothes, photos and a hodgepodge of kitchenware from my college house to my mom's place, an hour away. I was in that weird place between incredible relief that classes were over and immense grief as I said...(read more)

Your First Day

Lynn Jusinski — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:06:00 GMT

I've had my fair share of jobs. I worked as a server at IHOP. I washed dishes at a fairly swanky ski club in the mountains. I pushed around carts in a Michael's craft store warehouse (and let me tell you, boxes of marbles are heavy), and I even bundled up to go work in the Mrs. T's pierogies factory. Through the summers in high school and college, I pulled weeds and picked vegetables on a farm. I worked at one store in a shopping mall for a total of 45 minutes (that was a heckuva first day) and there are plenty more where that came from.

I can certainly remember at least a few first days from that batch alone. However, I was working at most of them part-time, or just during breaks to help pay for college and all of its expenses. My first day at a "real" job was different and a bit more memorable.

I was hired to work at two local newspapers. I went in, and was promptly handed a list of assignments. I'd just graduated from college 2 months earlier, and I was an English major--I'd had only one journalism course in my time at college. I felt terrified. I carefully concocted questions to ask the sources for the articles, and then froze up. I stared at the phone, and even though the articles were due in only a few days, I was too afraid to call anyone--afraid of being judged by my new co-workers, who I'd just met that day, and afraid of screwing up my first foray into the world of journalism. The second day, I finally made the calls I needed to, and within a few days the fear had evaporated. Still, when I think back, that first day I learned a lot, and I doubt I'll forget it any time soon.

Whether it was years ago or just a couple months past, the first day at a new job or in a new career often sticks in the mind. Share your funny, successful or scary experiences from that first day on the job so that new graduates reading our Student Center can learn from your experiences.

What did you learn from that day? Did anything surprise you? How did the day differ from your expectations? Share anything you wish about your first day, and we'll post it in a student center article. Or, from Monday, Oct. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 2, you can comment directly on the story. I'll post the link when it goes live, and in the meantime, feel free to leave comments below or you can e-mail me your experiences at ljusinski@advanceweb.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Don't Get Ripped Off

Lisa Algeo — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:37:00 GMT

"Start earning money in just a few weeks." "Get your degree from home." We've all seen the infomercials, commercials and advertisements that boast "You too can become a medical transcriptionist in 10 days," or "Become a medical coder and earn top dollar."

Unfortunately, there are many people out there looking for a quick, cheap education that will lead them to the promised land of gainful employment. Some people pay a lot of money for these "study-at-home" programs, only to find out later that they received a substandard education and they can't get hired due to lack of education and experience.

The key is doing your homework before you enter a medical transcription or coding program. Many people don't engage in the appropriate research before selecting an educational program and find themselves feeling "ripped off" once they finish.

Visit our Student Center and the Find a School link to start your educational program search. Also, the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) has a number of resources to explore before starting your health care documentation career.

According to the Nov. 7 issue of Vitals, the e-newsletter of AHDI and the Medical Transcription Industry Association (MTIA), if you have already spent money and time on a work-at-home program and now believe the program may not be legitimate, contact the company and ask for a refund. Let company representatives know that you plan to notify officials about your experience. If you can't resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with these organizations:

The Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception. Call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or log on to http://www.ftc.gov/.
The Attorney General's office in your state or the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you're protected by any state law that may regulate work-at-home programs.
Your local consumer protection offices.
Your local Better Business Bureau.
Your local postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices.
The advertising manager of the publication or television station that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you've had with the company.

Have you had a bad experience with a coding or transcription program? Share your thoughts.