Since time immemorial, a career in medicine has been looked upon with prestige, and people consider it humanitarian and noble. A career in medicine calls for a lot of responsibility and the ability to update one’s knowledge on the evolving medical technology. With the passage of time and innovation in the field of science, the medical profession is becoming very challenging. There are a number of fields within the medical career, such as Healthcare Administration, Healthcare Management, Medical Insurance Billing, Medical Office Billing and several others.

Basic Requirements For Medical Billing

The job of medical billing involves a lot of hard work and vast knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, coding and proper completion of forms. In addition, you need to have basic computer knowledge and a typing speed of at least 35 words per minute. A good temperament is another important characteristic that the person needs to possess, since he is required to deal with a number of patients, their attendants, doctors, medical representatives and other office personnel.

Job Outlook And Employment Opportunities

Medical billing is one of the fastest growing careers in healthcare. The importance of medical billing personnel is on the rise, since several insurance companies and the government are continuously spending substantial time and money to nix fraud and abusive practices. Due to this demand, various companies and practices are constantly on the lookout for trained and experienced medical billers. Personnel could find positions with doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, insurance companies, legal offices, rehabilitation centers, legal offices and consulting firms or they could also work independently.

They could set up an electronic billing system through their personal computers. Independent medical billers can also work as insurance specialists and consultants. The job is lucrative and revolves around helping patients and medical professionals calculate their insurance bills.

Some of the other job opportunities that are included within medical billing are as follows:

• Billing Specialist
• Coding Specialist
• Medical Collector
• Patient Account Representative
• Claims Analyst
• Claims Processor
• Reimbursement Specialist Claims Reviewer
• Electronic Claims Processor
• Billing Coordinator
• Claims Assistant Professional

Work Culture

The work culture of medical billers is usually part of an office setup. More often than not, the personnel do not work in close proximity to where patients are diagnosed. They generally have billing offices and services in large corporate buildings, in small suburban offices and in the offices of doctors. They usually work during the day, from Monday to Friday, forty hours a week. However, there are times when, in insurance companies, they are required to work late at night. They are paid well for working overtime and their services are much appreciated by the medical establishment and patients alike.

Whatever the reason that you want to switch careers, the fact is that you are going through a change, and you are not the only one. Studies show that the average person changes his or her career several times before things settle down. There are certain steps that you can take to make switching careers just a bit less stressful.

1. It's all about likes and dislikes: Being happy with your career is all about your personal choices. It is easy to identify what you dislike but it is that much more difficult to identify what you like doing. While identifying your likes think of all the things you would like to if money was not an issue. Delve deeper and you will know what it is you really like. Most people's likes revolve around teaching, healing and creating. If you can't identify your likes, then you should get online and take an online personality test that will help you figure it out.

2. Research: After you have identified your likes and dislikes and what you like doing, what you are passionate about, the next step is to spend some time researching. It is a part of the process to feel intimidated and unsure of yourself, but there is no need to back out or change your plans because of this. Just do your homework and you will be fine.

3. Skills: There are some skills that can be used irrespective of your career choice. Skills such as communication, leadership, planning and motivation are just a few of them. These can be used in your career switching process.

4. Education: If you are changing your career, you need to make sure that your education and training are adequate. You could enroll in a night class or online courses and acquire the education and training that you will need in your new career.

5. Network: The world now functions on the basis of networking. Make sure you have a good network of people you can use during your career change. With the right amount of networking you can get job leads, advice and useful information.

6. Experience: Since you will be starting a new career altogether, you may not going to be credited with lots of experience in the new company. If this is the case, consider taking a part-time job or doing some volunteer work that is relevant to your field to gain experience.

7. Mentors: Getting a mentor is the best thing you can do for yourself. Your mentor will help you get though those difficult times. You and your mentor together can work towards building your network that will help your career changing process.

8. Basics: If you haven't been job-hunting for a long time, then you need to get all your basics in place. Make sure that you have your resume updated. Know about interview skills. Research the companies. These are all things that will ensure smooth sailing during your job search.

9. Flexibility: Flexibility is of utmost importance while switching careers. There needs to be flexibility about everything...from employment status to salary and benefits.

Switching careers mid-life may be stressful - but by following the tips above, you can make sure that it doesn't become overwhelming.