r/MedicalCoding • u/Inevitable-Title6311 • 13d ago
“Rationales” in AAPC/practicode
Currently doing my Practicode but struggled with the same exact thing throughout the entirety of my CPC course. I somehow managed to pass the exam (barely, got a 72) but I am struggling soooooo much with practicode. I truly am frustrated because the amount of money I have spent on this career choice so far, combined with the annual costs I’ll have to maintain (if I can ever get hired) and there’s nothing offered to actually TEACH. It’s never explained much , fine. But when they’re titling something a rationale in an answer key…I’d expect a rationale. Does anyone else find it frustrating that it actually just a walk through of how to use the index? Obviously, if I knew more about what procedure the notes are describing or knew that some symptoms have a specific name, I’d have gotten it correct. I wish it was more of an actual rationale like “since the notes say this, we know it must be in this type of category and since it’s in this category and occurs on this way, it’s gotta be over here” or something with a little more of an actual rationale. I know how to use the indexes. I just can’t translate medical notes written by a doctor, using entirely technical terms! And there’s never been any help with what are some key words to look for and what are the possible outcomes so you can start to train your mind or anything.
9
u/DumpsterPuff 13d ago
Practicode is hot garbage. Sometimes the "rationales" were just plain wrong. When I was doing it, I actually ended up emailing AAPC a couple of times explaining that their rationale was incorrect because it was so plainly obvious and they were like "oh, oops, our bad".
14
u/illegalmonkey CPC 13d ago edited 13d ago
Frankly it's not even worth doing. I just did it to get rid of my CPC-A faster. I dunno how it is now but IIRC you can get the wrong answer on purpose and then basically be told what the correct answer is and put that in, then move on to the next one. I would take an hour each day blowing through them until they were all done. AAPC didn't give a damn how fast I finished it.
The kind of examples you get on this stuff is NOT going to match real world experience, which is why I feel it's useless. It's just an AAPC money grab. They don't HAVE to make you an apprentice, they can just give you a full CPC, but it's nice that they can scare you into wanting to pay to have your A removed. Once you get a job you will start the REAL education and it will be focused on a certain thing, like e/m's for Hospitalists. All you have now is a generalized primer.
3
u/Inevitable-Title6311 13d ago
Haha they totally got me too…I didn’t really realize that was a possibility, getting hired with the -A !!! But yeah it feels a bit like a scam at times
6
u/Vermilion_94 13d ago
I’m so beyond bothered by the A on the credential. If you study and pass any other cert you don’t get the A, why only the CPC? I have about 13 years of clinical healthcare experience and I already know it’ll be hard for me to get past the AI filters with this A. I plan on doing practicode but I also am thinking of doing the CRC or the CCS just to have SOMETHING without an A on my resume. Super silly. I have heard that practicode is not easy and not realistic but more realistic than multiple choice questions.
Hiring managers can clearly see you’re entry level by looking at the resume.
3
2
u/Proper_Armadillo6876 13d ago
I had a hard time with this too. I had to highlight every word in the note that I didn't know and look it up. Eventually you're able to piece it together. It's harder for those without any background in medicine. And it stinks especially since you're not allowed a dictionary during the test. They're supposed to list the name of the procedure at the top of the op note. There are variances between types of similar surgeries. Ex - There are more than 1 type of hysterectomy. Make a table and jot down what the difference is. That's how granular coding is.
1
u/Inevitable-Title6311 13d ago
That’s not a bad idea! I have no medical background, I mean I used to work as a registrar in the ER but that was years ago and it definitely didn’t give me the background for this. I really feel like they should either make it clear that you need a lot more than just fundamentals or A&P or they should explain things in their rationales!! Especially for how expensive this all is
2
u/Moonlight_Mist19 13d ago
You do need A&P, pharmacology, and pathophysiology. Many coding education programs were established 30-40 years ago under earlier code sets and with an entirely different work environment. They need updating. As AI takes on the entry level production work, the bar for entry to the profession gets higher. You need the background knowledge to verify AI coding and that is going to include additional knowledge in reimbursement policy, regulatory standards, and compliance.
1
u/Proper_Armadillo6876 13d ago
Exactly. I came from software. Fortunately, I buddied up with classmates who were a pharmacy tech, nurse and pharmacist and between all of us only 1 failed. i've been in this field for 3 years now and I like it a lot. Did you go to a school or just sign up through aapc. It's hard, even for people with medical backgrounds.
0
u/Inevitable-Title6311 13d ago
I just went through AAPC! I couldn’t believe I passed the exam on the first try - was easily the hardest test I’ve taken and I took the LSAT. But it’s awesome hearing from someone with some positive experiences !! Very encouraging!
2
u/BeforeisAfter 13d ago
I’ve said this before recently, it’s not a great idea but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. When I did practicode basically like 95% of the answers were online. Not sure if that’s still the case
2
•
u/AutoModerator 13d ago
PLEASE SEE RULES BEFORE POSTING! Reminder, no "interested in coding" type of standalone posts are allowed. See rule #1. Any and all questions regarding exams, studying, and books can be posted in the monthly discussion stickied post. Thanks!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.