Stackable Credentials In Healthcare: How and Where To Start

When you know you need a job change, stacking your credentials with certifications may be the right way forward.

Stackable credentials in healthcare are qualifications that are achieved over time and work to create a more robust skill set and resume. They build on each other; make you stand out when finding a job, and help you perform your duties with more experience and knowledge. All of these benefits lead to better career outcomes.

So how do you do it? This guide will walk through the benefits of stackable credentials, an example with medical coding, and how to start with MedCerts.

Benefits of Stacking Credentials in Healthcare

Gaining more experience in a given area can only help your career and job prospects. Here are a few ways stacking credentials in healthcare can help you:

Increase your salary

With more skill-based certifications under your belt, you’ll be a more experienced candidate for jobs so that you can ask for a higher salary. If you move up in your current position, that escalation also comes with more money.

Widen your pool of opportunities

You’ll be qualified for more positions when you stack up. If you’re certified as a technician in more than one specific medical area, you will have more jobs to choose from, for which you’ll be a competitive candidate. This gives you more flexibility in where you want your career to go.

Stand out to employers

When you’re proficient in more than one area, like coding and administration, you’re a stronger candidate. Your credentials will show potential employers that you’ve done the work to earn experience and qualifications, and they’ll be more likely to hire you than less experienced candidates.

Move higher on the career ladder

You can quickly climb the job ladder when you gain new skills or learn new information about the medical field. Stacking up helps you avoid stagnation in your current position or career.

Example of Stackable Credentials: Coding

It helps to know how credentials can work together to further your career. Coding in healthcare is a great example.

When entering the field, you can earn the Medical Coder and Biller Certification (MCBC) through the American Medical Certification Association (AMCA). MedCerts offers several certification programs you can stack up to get there, including the Certified Professional Coder, Medical Billing Specialist, and Healthcare Administration Professional programs.

You can then stack your Certified Professional Coder (CPC) or Certified Medical Coder (CMC) certification to have more well-rounded coding and billing experience. Another coding certification to consider is the Certified Coding Specialist – Physician-based (CCS-P).

Where to Start

Stacking credentials in healthcare helps you widen your pool of job prospects and get a leg up on the competition. When you’re ready to start, MedCerts offers many different online healthcare certifications to choose from, many of which you can stack up for more certificates.

Whether you’re interested in becoming a technician, working as an administrator, or taking on medical assistant roles, we have you covered.