Medical Coder Resume Examples to Help You Build Yours

Your knowledge of coding procedures and coding guidelines will be paramount for your resume. Highlight not only the fact that you have knowledge of coding but also your efficacy in doing so and avoiding any mistakes. High-quality medical coders help organizations avoid audits and save money.

The structure of your medical coder resume will largely depend on the resume format you end up using. The chronological format, which emphasizes your work history, is most common, but if you don’t have much work history to on, then you might use the functional format or the combination format. These headings will be the same in every resume, although you may have to change how you structure them.

 

 

At the very top of your resume will be the header, which includes your full name, your contact information, and professional networking links like your LinkedIn.

 

 

Next is your resume summary or resume objective. This gives recruiters a “quick look” at your resume, as this two-to-three sentence paragraph should explain your important strengths and accomplishments. For entry-level resumes, a resume objective is best, as it also includes a statement of your career or job goals.

 

 

Your skills will be a primary part of the benefits you provide to an employer as a coding expert. Here are a few of the bullet points that you might want to focus on as part of your resume writing:

• Knowledge of medical terminology and general healthcare
• Ability to scan medical records
• Experience with insurance companies and medical billing
• Knowledge of different coding systems (CPT coding, CPT-4, ICD-9-CM, ICD-10-CM, DRG, HCPCS codes)
• Inpatient vs. outpatient coding
• Knowledge of different specialties (Radiology, family practice, pediatrics, orthopedics)
• How to handle patient information and medical documentation with regards to HIPAA

These skills will help you read patient charts and then effectively code them. While most of these are hard skills, soft skills like communication skills can also be beneficial in proving to hiring managers that you’re the right choice.

 

 

Your work experience section should include up to the last ten years of experience in coding and related areas. For example, you could list work as a healthcare provider, a data entry worker, or in another field where you manage patient medical records or handle reimbursement claims.

 

 

Most hiring managers want you to have at least a bachelor’s degree, with some programs requiring a master’s degree. It’s also best to become a certified medical coder. The industry standard coding certification is the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) certification from the AAPC, which is important to list on your professional resume.

Do:

• Emphasize skills and experiences that show how you can help the company. Consult the job posting and note what the employer needs, than try to answer those needs through your resume
• Include any other experience you have with medical information or working in a medical office. This shows you’re familiar with the information you’re coding.
• Showcase that you’re good at data entry as well as the actual coding. Knowing how to navigate an Excel spreadsheet is a great tool for a medical coder.

Don’t:

• Apply to medical coding jobs before looking at the certifications required. The job description should indicate what certifications are necessary for that specific job.
• Include work experience that’s completely irrelevant to the job. If you have non-relevant experience, then you can include it on your LinkedIn.
• Include health information from any clients you worked for in the past. When citing previous experience, avoid discussing specific patient information.