3 Common Traits of Medical Coders

So, you’re thinking about changing careers and becoming a medical coder. That’s awesome! But you might be wondering if it’ll be a good fit for you—so let’s talk about that for a minute. I've been in the field a while, and I noticed that there are some common traits that most medical coders have. Now this isn’t a complete list and obviously there are exceptions. But I’ve been in the field for a long time, and this is something that I’ve noticed. Most medical coders are introverts, they can work independently, and they like learning new things.

Being an introvert is not a bad thing 😊 The reason I say most coders are introverts is because we tend to keep to ourselves, and we like to work in a quiet environment. We also don’t socialize too much at work because we like to focus and get things done. One of the benefits though of working in an office setting, is that maybe there will be another coder who becomes your mentor. That’s how it was for me when I was first starting out as a medical coder many years ago. There was an older woman there who basically adopted me and taught me everything there is to know about radiology coding. Which was great for me—even though I took coding classes and was certified—I wasn’t quite ready to just jump right in. She showed me the way, and I’m forever grateful. The same thing can happen to you someday 😊

The next common trait I see in medical coders, is that they can work independently. Medical coders are just naturally thinkers, and we are used to researching and figuring things out. We don’t need to be micromanaged or have our bosses breathing down our necks. Another thing I’ve noticed is that most coding supervisors know this about coders and tend to give us space. Which is great! Coders are reliable and can work without a lot of supervision.

The last trait that is real common in medical coders is the fact that we like to learn new things. This is really important, because codes change every year, and things are updated, and we have to keep up with these changes.

Does this sound like you? Still interested in becoming a medical coder? The next step is figuring out which medical coding course to take. This is a whole separate topic, and I’ll write about this is my next blog post.

Other things you may be interested in:

Book Tabs For the Coding Books

Medical Coding Practice Questions

Exam Strategy Workshop-ON SALE NOW

Thanks for reading,

Lindsay

Lindsay Della Vella, CPC, COC, Approved Instructor