How do you decide what career to pursue when there are so many different paths ahead of you?

Something to consider that seems to ring true of all healthcare workers is that they care deeply about what they do. Their care goes beyond just a job. Their career paths stem from a desire to help others, and with the many different roles one can have in healthcare, people are likely to find a job that fits.

Additionally, working from home is appealing to many people and there are career options in healthcare for you to have schedule flexibility and feel fulfilled by your job.

Meet Stephanie Vandermark who redirected her healthcare career path out of high school and now works remotely doing what she loves.

The Building Blocks of a Career

Stephanie dipped her toes into healthcare as a member of her high school’s chapter of Health Occupational Students of America (HOSA). With a vision for her career, she earned her CNA certificate before even graduating high school. Through her HOSA membership, she was able to gain in-person experience through clinicals at a local hospital.

With her career goals supported by experience and the stamp of a certification earned, Stephanie enrolled in a community college to become a Registered Nurse right after graduating high school. Becoming an RN is the natural next step following the Certified Nursing Assistant credential, but after a few semesters, Stephanie discovered that she wasn’t so sure about what she wanted for her career and realized a future in nursing wasn’t the best fit for her.

Fresh out of high school, it can be hard to know exactly what you want for your career, especially since you’re still very much figuring out life. Jumping into the traditional 2- or 4-year path is not always the right fit for a young professional. A shift into smaller, bite-sized skills that you can stack over time may be the building blocks for your future.

A New Direction

With some uncertainty, Stephanie put the traditional school path on pause until she decided what her next steps were.

She discovered MedCerts by a recommendation from her sister, who was in a no-cost MedCerts program at the time as a military spouse through the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) scholarship program. Her sister provided her with a first-hand account of the program and the start-to-finish support MedCerts provides.

Who doesn’t love a recommendation from their big sister? With confidence in MedCerts, Stephanie explored program options to grow her career in healthcare. Knowing that even though a nursing path was not for her, she wanted to continue to build her skillset in healthcare.

“I’ve always known I wanted to do something in the medical field. It’s something I’ve been very passionate about since I was younger.” – Stephanie

What appealed to Stephanie about MedCerts was the short length of our courses and how she would be able to complete the program at her own pace. The combination of MedCerts’ schedule flexibility, the all-inclusive program cost and the advocacy of her sister opened up a new direction for Stephanie. She was drawn to taking the next step in healthcare with a path in Medical Coding and Billing.

A Polished Resume

While enrolled in the Medical Billing Specialist program, Stephanie took the advice we give to all our students – to get started on your job search as soon as you can. She added her ongoing education in our entry-level billing program to her resume and was contacted for a role in billing as a Revenue Specialist.

A revenue specialist handles the part of the billing cycle where you process payments and claims for an organization. The role is a perfect first step to explore advanced billing and eventually could lead to future coding careers. Her now employer inquired about her experience at MedCerts and offered Stephanie a remote position.

When employers can see on your resume that you’re willing to take steps to sharpen your skillset or learn something new by obtaining a certification, you’re also demonstrating “your passion and [are] provid[ing] evidence of your specific expertise and skills.” (Indeed)

MedCerts students have access to Career Services and a dedicated Career Coach who can assist with fine-tuning your resume and ensure that your skills are on display for employers to easily identify.

From Remote Learning to Remote Work

With her full-time position secured, Stephanie was able to complete the rest of her program knowing that she’s on a career path that yields results and clear opportunities for growth.

Remote work is more and more appealing to people looking for new careers or for people who want the flexibility remote work offers. Stephanie has found that she is perfectly suited for this type of work and sees herself pursuing only work-from-home opportunities in the future. As a non-patient-facing career path, growing your career with roles in the healthcare revenue cycle may mean more opportunities for you to find remote work.

In Stephanie’s role, she’ll eventually be able to set her own hours and relocate easily, even to the extent of moving to another state. Location flexibility is important for her to be able to move to different locations and not have to start over with a new role again and again. The remote work allows her to really focus in on her career and grow her skills without any major events that will take her career off track. The zero-commute life isn’t so bad either, she notes.

De-Coding Traditional Education Pathways

Taking an online program with MedCerts means flexibility. Stephanie was able to complete the 14-week course on her own time, at her own pace. While in the program, she was working full-time and job searching for a role more aligned with her career goals. We know life doesn’t pause when you’re regrouping with yourself, but our programs do and can give you room to learn at times that work best for you.

Now a MedCerts Alum, Stephanie’s current focus is to sharpen her billing skills with experience in her new role. With the help of the MedCerts program, she now has a better understanding of her role.

“The course definitely has helped me understand a tremendous amount of what I’m doing right now, and I think what I’m doing right now will even help me when I decide to get into coding.” -Stephanie

Stephanie is looking to continue growing her credentials, working her way into the medical coding part of the revenue cycle becoming a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), and completing her associate’s degree in Healthcare Management. She’s already had her eye on open positions at her current employer that she can work into.

As with many employers, it’s worth your time to send an email or two inquiring about the education benefits they offer. You may even find that your employer will cover the full cost of a training program, like the ones we provide at MedCerts.

Plus, MedCerts Alumni receive a 40% discount on each program they take after their first. You can build your career skills with us over time and always have your eye on that next certification to earn.

Find What Works for You

Healthcare was always the direction Stephanie wanted to take. An easy decision, as it’s an area she’s always been passionate about. Her advice for people looking to explore a career in Medical Billing, even without previous healthcare experience is to really focus on your learning style. There are so many resources out there for people to get insight, info, tips and tricks, and she encourages you to tap into the things that appeal to you.

Stephanie’s personal favorites are listening to topical podcasts and watching YouTube videos. Education won’t look the same for everyone, as we all learn differently. That means giving things a try and sometimes learning you need something else. Like Stephanie’s start at community college, she realized that she needed something else. As someone who’s taken charge of her career path, Stephanie’s advice in its simplest form is to not be afraid to find your own way.

Give Yourself Room to Change

It can often feel like there is so much pressure surrounding finding the right job or finding the right career path in one go. The reality is, that your interests change, the goals and plans you set for yourself change, and that’s okay! Lifelong learning is all about the dedication to taking small steps toward a better future. The commitment of a 2- or 4-year university may not be that first step, but instead, something you revisit in the future when you have experience and a steady income. However your path is looking, know that it’s okay to pause and redirect, giving yourself room to grow into a career that you feel good about.

Our Enrollment Consultants at MedCerts understand decisions like pursuing further education take a lot of consideration, questioning and “thinking out loud.” Connect with an Education Consultant today and let’s think out loud together.