Alumni Spotlight – Sean Henry

Sean graduated from MTI College’s IT Network Administration program in November 2015. He chose this degree because he believes it to be a skill that is in high demand and realized it is something he is very passionate about. It took him some time to come to this understanding, but the payoff has been well worth it. Immediately after high school, Sean enrolled at his local community college, bouncing from major to major, unsure of what he wanted to pursue. “I really couldn’t find something that would hold my interest and be able to pay the bills,” he recalled. He began looking into IT at the community college but became frustrated with the timeline. If that was something he was going to pursue, it would have taken him about three or four years, because classes were only offered at certain times and dates. Unfortunately, it was something that was just not able to work out with his schedule. “So, I looked around and tried to find a place to get IT training done,” Sean explained. “I found MTI and I loved them because the whole campus works in conjunction with one another. You never had a problem getting the classes you needed to graduate on time.”

According to Sean, the other main factor that determined his decision to enroll at MTI College was the Career Services department. After his first year at MTI, he would have access to temp agencies and job listings that would be mailed out to him to help find jobs within his field. “The job placement rate, within six months after graduation, was 95% when I was there. It couldn’t be beat. I wanted to go to school, and after I was done, I wanted a job. And a 95% chance I’d get a job after the program? That is icing on the cake.”

Sean’s experience at MTI was both humbling and impactful. “My first year there, I walked in thinking I knew so much about computers and the first several classes were introductory and would be very easy.” Although Sean was innately skilled at IT work, his courses were not as easy as he expected. He had one professor in particular who really made an impression. “He is an amazing human being and changed the way I looked at the IT field. Previously I looked at it as something I was good at. Something I could do to support myself and make decent money doing it. But, he helped mold it into a passion for me.” With both respect and a laugh, Sean added, “He really cultivated me and my fellow students into IT professionals as opposed to computer nerds.”

Prior to MTI, the extent of Sean’s experience was fixing computers for his family members and friends. But now, he just finished signing a contract to work as a PC technician for the Roseville Joint Union High School District. He was drawn to this position because his family is in education, as well. His mother works in upper-level management for a university in California and his father is a professor. This position combines his passion for IT and working in an educational environment. “I love being around people who want to learn,” he explained. His responsibilities will range anywhere from basic troubleshooting, to hardware and software updates, to fixing malfunctioning machines and removing viruses. Previous to this position, Sean worked at a software company as a helpdesk analyst, his official title being Customer Experience Specialist. He would work over the phone with employees, utilizing remote control assistance, for a CRM program that the company had built in-house. Sean would also troubleshoot email problems as well as help people get set up with new email addresses and domains.

Sean’s confidence in his ability to perform well in the IT field is inspiring. He attributed this to how well prepared he was through his education at MTI. “I learned enough there that I have not had any problems at all,” he explained. Not once thus far has he felt he did not know what he needed to in order to succeed. “So far with the credentials I earned there, if I get an interview, I get the job. I’ve only interviewed twice since I left MTI and I got the job both times. Partly because of the credentials I earned that they offered and partially because of the shop courses they had.” Sean also had two courses that were focused on preparing students for their career search. These classes taught him how to interview and how to write a resume. “They taught me everything I needed to know about walking into an interview and making the best possible impression.”

Looking back on his journey, Sean undoubtedly made the right choice. “One of the things that a lot of people don’t realize about the IT field is how fulfilling it could be. Because everyone thinks it’s just sitting behind a computer and typing, but really, in all of the jobs that I have had so far, I very much enjoy the fact that I am making other people’s days better.” Before MTI, Sean was a bit of a wanderer. He did not know what he wanted to do with his life and went through multiple majors to figure it out. He started off in culinary science, then went to biology. From there, he tried chemistry and then nutrition. But now, Sean is fixing problems for people and he could not be happier. “A lot of people discount just how people-oriented the IT field really is. And that’s my favorite part of it. I arrive with a smile on my face and leave with a smile on theirs.”

Moving forward, Sean wants to continue building his work experience to move into a higher-level position. He would enjoy being either a network engineer or a server administrator. He has all of the certifications he needs for a server administrator position because of additional courses he was able to take at MTI. He will have to take additional courses in order to be certified as a network engineer, which he plans on doing soon. In this moment, however, he is embracing how far he has come. “I’m employed. I’m a proud member of society. A few months ago, I was able to move out and am paying the bills on my own. MTI really was the launching platform for my adult, professional life.” He even referred his “better half” to MTI, as well. “I basically dragged her behind me,” he laughed. She went through one of MTI’s healthcare programs and had no problem getting a job in the medical field once she graduated.

Honestly, Sean would recommend MTI College to everyone. “MTI really sparked a fire in me that nowhere else really had. And every day now I go to a job that I love doing. I wake up in the morning happy to go to work. I don’t think that had I picked one of those other fields that I could have said that.”

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Women in Technology: Blazing Trails in a Male-Dominated Industry

Throughout history, boys have been encouraged to enter technical fields, and girls directed toward the arts because some have felt girls aren’t as competent as boys in those fields. What a misconception! Although this stereotype of women has permeated the work force for years, corporate leaders—especially those in technology —are rethinking that unfair classification.

According to NCWIT’s Women in IT, women in technology are making strides, but the numbers are not there yet. In the computing workforce, only 26 percent are women; just 7 percent are minority women. Only 20 percent of Fortune 100 companies are led by female CIOs. Even though women do the work, they are not getting the compensation they deserve.

On average, women must work 15.5 months to reach the salary a man earns in 12. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is one of those leaders who is trying to close the gender gap, hoping for a change that will bring equality to the work force and put more women in technology. Many Silicon Valley tech firms—Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Dropbox, Facebook and LinkedIn—are following suit. Last year, they signed the White House Equal Pay Pledge, promising to conduct an annual gender pay analysis and review hiring practices to check for biases.

Although there are still some roadblocks to overcome, there are opportunities. LinkedIn reports that the rate of female technical new hires rose 24.4 percent between 2008 and 2016. That’s promising—especially for women contemplating studying information technology. MTI College is the place to start. MTI’s IT program prepares you for an entry-level position as a technical support specialist.

Women have made tremendous achievements in the field of technology. Perhaps one day you will make your mark in the world as these women did with their breakthrough discoveries in computing, communications and gaming.

First computer programmer, a 19^th century royal

Ada Byron, Duchess of Lovelace, could have followed in the footsteps of her famous father, poet Lord Byron. Instead, she chose mathematics—unusual for a female born in 1815. She helped document notes on the “Analytical Engine” that her boss, Charles Babbage, invented in 1843. Ada’s algorithm to help Babbage’s machine count Bernoulli numbers earned her recognition as the first computer programmer. Sadly, Babbage was unable to secure funding, and his “computer” never came to fruition.

Rear admiral at the forefront of programming

Grace Hopper was a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy during World War II, but her other titles included “Queen of Software” and “Grandma COBOL.” She was known for developing English-language programming language, including FLOW=MATIC language that Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL) was based on. In the 1950s, she was senior mathematician for a company that developed UNIVAC, the second commercial computer produced in the United States. At the same time, she created the “A compiler,” a program that translates source code from one computer language to another. Curiously, Hopper was the first to coin the word “bug” to describe a computer glitch after she discovered a real moth that got into her computer and caused a problem. To honor her legacy, the largest conference of women in technology, Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, is named after her.

From Golden Age of Hollywood screen sensation to Wi-Fi pioneer

In the 1920s, Hedy Lamarr dazzled Hollywood as a beautiful screen star, but during World War II she used her talents to fight the Nazis. She and her co-inventor, George Anthiel, developed spread spectrum technology, an early form of encryption technology. They manipulated radio signals to control torpedoes remotely, forming an unbreakable code to prevent the interception of classified messages by the enemy. The technology was first used on naval ships during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and years later was the foundation for Bluetooth technology, Wi-Fi and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMI).

“Necessity is the mother of invention”

Police were slow to respond to emergencies in Marie Van Brittan Brown’s crime-riddled Queens, New York neighborhood. She took matters into her own hands to keep her home and family safe and secured a patent in 1966 for a home security system that featured peepholes, a camera, a monitor, a two-way microphone and an alarm button that reached the police. Her system was the basis for modern CCTV systems used for home security and police work today.

Bell Labs employees make strides in communications

Talk about multitasking! Dr. Erna Schneider Hoover worked in the technology department at Bell Laboratories during a time that they had an excessive volume of incoming calls. While she was in the hospital after giving birth to her second daughter, Dr. Hoover developed a telephony switching computer program that kept phones functioning during periods of heavy call volume without dropping calls. Her patent in 1971 was one of the first software patents issued.

Another Bell employee, Dr. Shirley Jackson, a theoretical physicist and the first African-American woman to earn a PhD from MIT, conducted breakthrough scientific research that enabled others to go on to invent the portable fax, the touchtone telephone, fiber optic cables and the technology behind Caller ID and Call Waiting.

Contributing toward a big slice of the Apple pie

Back when Steve Jobs was creating the Apple computer, graphic designer Susan Kare worked alongside him as the artist who, in a way, humanized the Mac. She crafted many of the now-standard pixelized interface elements, like the Mac smile, the trash can icon, the invaluable command icon and more. When Jobs left Apple in the mid-1980s, Kare followed. She worked for Microsoft, making Windows 3.0 user friendly, and then went on to do work for Facebook and PayPal.

Small screens and big dreams

Mary Lou Jepsen is an innovative technical executive and industry leader in screen display and imaging. At Facebook, she worked with Virtual Reality. At Google X, she created Google Lego TV. And as founder and former CEO of Pixel Qi in Taiwan, she helped develop low-power, sunlight-readable screens for mobile devices. Jepsen had a dream, however, to provide a computer to every child. She produced the XO, a low-power, low-cost notebook prototype for the nonprofit she co-founded: One Laptop Per Child. Her latest endeavor is Openwater, a company she founded with the goal of using a high-resolution 3D camera to see far into the body with explicit detail.

Fun and games that pay off

A pioneer and visionary in the graphic adventure games industry, Roberta Williams is best known for her PC adventure game series King’s Quest, which has had seven sequels. She and her husband, Ken Williams, founded Sierra On-Line Systems (later known as Sierra On-Line). Roberta popularized the gaming industry with her games’ intricate storylines and complex puzzles that enticed players to fight their way to victory.

Technology’s potential is limitless, and job growth looks good. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for technical support specialists is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations. Industry leaders continue to acknowledge the importance of female workers and are vowing to employ more women. If you would like to be among the growing list, MTI College can help prepare you for a career in technology.

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MTI College Can Prepare You for a Business Administration Career

Getting an associate degree in business administration from MTI College is an important first step to put you on the path to a versatile career in marketing, general business, human relations, management, economics or accounting. MTI’s thorough training in business administration gives you transferable skills that you can build on and grow with.

 

Take a look at what you can expect when you choose MTI College Sacramento to begin your career in business administration.

 

How and what you learn in MTI’s business administration degree program

When you have an opportunity to get hands-on experience, you learn better. That’s one of MTI’s signature training methods. Since your instructors have worked in business, they share their experiences with you and use real-world scenarios to illustrate what you may well be faced with once you enter the business workplace.

 

Over the course of the two-year program to earn your associate degree in business administration, you will also learn the soft skills that you can use anywhere in the business world.

During your first year of study, your business administration courses focus on general knowledge and computer skills, providing you with a solid foundation in Microsoft Office Suite products and business communications. By the end of this year, you should know how to:

• Compose professional business letters and memos, as well as organize business documents.
• Perform basic accounting functions, including journalizing transactions, preparing financial statements and reconciling bank statements.
• Create and present professional-quality presentations featuring visual aids.
• Use Microsoft Office programs, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, to execute, maintain and improve office operations.
• Apply your problem-solving, customer service and interpersonal skills to real-time business situations.
• Work both independently and as part of a team in a confident, professional manner.

 

Once you have successfully completed your first year, you can continue to the second year, which delves more deeply into the core business courses required for your business administration associate degree. During this final year of study, you should be able to:

• Apply your understanding of global economic, social and environmental trends to issues in the current business environment.
• Use your knowledge, self-awareness and critical thinking skills to demonstrate an understanding of ethical decision making.
• Use the principles and best practices of management, human resources, finance and marketing to analyze concerns and problems, and help improve quality.
• Complete written business administration projects by applying methods and materials of research.
• Demonstrate behavior that reflects confidence, competence and professionalism.

 

Business administration program options at MTI

You have a choice of studying one of two business administration programs at MTI College:

• Business Administration (associate degree program), which provides you with business training in general administrative skills and the principles of business management.
• Administrative Office Professional (diploma program), which, in as little as nine months, teaches you the skills you need for an entry-level business support position as a secretary, an administrative assistant or an executive assistant.

With both program options, MTI prepares you with the hands-on training and skills you need to confidently work in business. The skills you earn are easily adaptable to any type of business, and they provide a foundation for job growth.

 

How MTI’s job placement services can help you get a job

Your business administration degree from MTI College gives you the flexibility to work in many areas of business, from HR to marketing to management. It never hurts to have help getting that first job.

MTI College’s Career Services Department offers free job placement assistance for current students either four weeks prior to graduation from the diploma program or within four weeks of completing the first year of the two-year associate degree program – if they are in good standing. Graduates and alumni are also eligible for help finding a job.

 

Since 1965, MTI has helped students find that all-important first job. These are the services that you, as a good student or MTI graduate, can take advantage of:

 

• Job search tips and mock interview scenarios
• Resources, web sites and lists of available positions
• On-campus career fairs
• Assistance with résumé writing
• Coaching and support during your job search
• Your name posted as one of MTI’s Top Grads on a list often viewed by employers

 

There’s no time like the present to begin your business administration training. Contact MTI today to get on the road to a desirable career.

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Alumni Spotlight: Frank Devai

Frank Devai graduated the IT – Network Administration program at MTI College in October 2016. Frank moved from Los Angeles to Sacramento with his family when he was just two months old. His dad needed a job, so they relocated, and Frank has lived there ever since. As a young adult, Frank began his educational experience at Sierra College, but he had little direction and much distraction. Around this time, Frank and his wife happily welcomed their first daughter. It was then that he decided he needed to start working to provide for his family. Putting his education on hold, Frank decided to start picking up odd jobs here and there. “I had every odd job under the sun – delivery driver, fabricator, construction worker. When you have a little one and not much education, you do what you have to do.” He was also able to pick up smaller, non-enterprise IT jobs. He would work for several months in small companies as needed, being the sole IT guy on site. He experienced IT work in a small manufacturing company and mom-and-pop shops. These smaller jobs were good experience but did not allow for IT to be Frank’s main focus. However, as Frank gratefully stated, “MTI College afforded me the opportunity to change that dynamic.”

MTI College allowed Frank to truly revisit his career options moving forward. When asked about his overall experience, without hesitation, he replied, “Incredibly positive.” He further explained how valuable his fellow classmates were to him. He made friends with many different people. In particular, he became part a group of about eight or nine people who continued to have the same classes together, building that bond even more. “Those guys are my friends for the rest of my life. The connections that I made, the people who became my friends, I feel like I’ll have forever.” Another vital aspect for Frank was his instructors. “The professors in the technical program are some of the best teachers I’ve ever had,” he explained. He referenced two professors in particular who would work all day and then come straight to MTI to teach class. “Whether it was a good or a bad day, they would always be honest about their experience so we could be prepared for the real world. They held us accountable. I credit them a lot for shaping how I work today. I had really positive interactions with faculty there.” More specifically, Frank had a speech class that was also utilized to help students with interviewing. Essentially, every class was set up as if students were interviewing for a job. Frank expressed how this course made a significant positive impact on how he began moving forward once he graduated, saying that it gave him self-confidence and the ability to present himself in the best light. Other classes he enjoyed were his CISCO, security and server courses. Frank laid it out like this: “From year 1 to year 2 is like going from JV to varsity. The speed and amount of information we were expected to absorb was a dramatic difference. At first it was overwhelming, but it trained me to roll with the punches and work as hard as I could. If other people are able to do it, I’m able to do it.”

Today, Frank works as a tier 1 technician for a construction company. He has only been there for about four months now, but his role has already evolved. He has been trained to be the enterprise license manager as well as the head of the PC Replacement team, which consists of five people who report directly to him. This goes to show how hardworking Frank is and how well-prepared he was for a full-time role in IT. On a daily basis, he works with robust construction software. If machines are broken or outdated, it is up to him to determine what is required for each machine, working on the technical side to get the appropriate information. Also, his team approaches him with various technical problems, which as a manager he is there to help resolve. In regard to the licensing aspect of his position, Frank is responsible for ensuring the company’s software remains fully licensed, negotiating licensing contracts, and making sure all software remains current.

What lies ahead for Frank? According to him, he will continue to strive at being the finest mediator between his eight-year-old and four-year-old daughters, as best he can. Besides these heroic fatherly duties, however, he will also continue learning everything he can about the field he is in. “I have a passion for technology, and I want to increase my knowledge and build off of the tools that MTI gave me. I want to make a difference wherever I end up.” Not only does Frank have a great sense of humor, he also has a good heart and an incredible work ethic. He wants to “essentially help others work through the same problems I had. I just like to do a good job, be technically competent and see how high the ceiling goes.” When asked to share some advice for students so they too can become as successful as him, Frank quickly replied, “Show up to get a parking spot. The parking lot fills up really fast.” After sharing yet another laugh, Frank ended on a more serious note. He explained his experience in a way that everyone could relate to. Throughout his time at MTI, he realized that no matter how overwhelmed he was feeling, even if other people were not openly expressing it, they felt the same way. “If you’re struggling, ask around, share what you’re going through. You might be surprised other people are too.” He encourages all students to communicate with each other, express what they are struggling with. Once he started doing that, other people would share similar sentiments, or another person would find that particular topic a strong suit of theirs and would offer some help. At the end of the day, going to MTI College was one of the best things Frank could have done. As he expressed, “Going to MTI changed my life. I did not have many prospects going forward as far as a career, aside from odds-and-ends jobs. MTI gave me the opportunity to change.”

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Dr. Rohit Dutta – MTI College Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Rohit Dutta is the clinical instructor for MTI College’s healthcare department, which includes the medical assistant certification program, the medical billing and coding professional diploma program, and the phlebotomy certification program. Dr. Dutta has worked at MTI College for one year, and has a total of four years working in higher education overall. Prior to MTI, he was a professor at the Sacramento Ultrasound Institute. Dr. Dutta earned his M.D. degree from Crimea State Medical University in Simferopol, Ukraine, in 2003.

Originally from India, Dr. Dutta credits much of his successful career to his family — a long line of doctors who instilled in him a passion for medicine.  For over 100 years, his family in India has operated a medical practice that was initially started by his grandfather and is now run by his father.  After completing his own medical studies in Ukraine, Dr. Dutta returned to India to begin his career. There, he began specializing in internal medicine as a physician at Cheema Medical Complex & Hospital, where he worked in the operating room (OR) and assisted in the vaccination program. Dr. Dutta next obtained a position at Tata Nursing Home. In addition to his continued work in an OR setting, he also worked in pediatric care and conducted medical care checkup camps.

Dr. Dutta ultimately left his position at the nursing home to move to the United States to further develop his career and to be with family members who had already immigrated here. He obtained a position at the UC Davis Medical Center as a radiology assistant.  Over the five years he spent in this position, Dr. Dutta performed many critical, hands-on medical tasks (including evaluating the need for auxiliary life support, oxygen, and suction, as well as checking the status of IVs, pleurovacs, and vital signs during and after transport) — but his skill set also broadened to include a more cohesive focus on patient care, proper safety protocols, and even processing of patient care paperwork through data entry and substantial research.

It was also during this time that Dr. Dutta started feeling an itch to pass on the knowledge he had accumulated throughout both his educational and professional experiences. “Sharing knowledge and helping students is something I truly like. It is something you feel good about when you share your knowledge and skills with somebody so they can succeed in their life.” With that notion in mind, Dr. Dutta obtained a position as an instructor at the Sacramento Ultrasound Institute. For three years, Dr. Dutta taught various courses in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, vascular science, and medical terminology.

In 2016, Dr. Dutta chose to come to MTI College. “This is a very good place to work. You have independence and freedom to work with the students. The community is really good and enjoyable.” He currently teaches Laboratory Assisting I and II. These courses cover the administration of various clinical procedures and tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), spirometry, nebulizer treatments, various types of injections, and blood drawing. Dr. Dutta recommends patience to students who want to get through these classes successfully: “Sometimes, the student wants to do the procedures but needs more time and more attention.”

Another thing students should keep in mind is the learning curve they’ll face when they graduate and start their careers. Dr. Dutta finds students tend to struggle initially in their first positions with things like using medical codes, making progress notes and even taking blood pressure. “Basic things are more difficult,” he notes, adding that such challenges are normal and part of the young medical graduate’s professional growth process. And although students should be accepting of these challenges, they should also take them very seriously. For example, Dr. Dutta notes, it is imperative that students starting off in the field immediately learn and strictly comply with rules of medical hygiene, and be always alert and aware of “how to stop the diseases from going one place to another place, and from one patient to another patient.” Other significant foundational skills noted by Dr. Dutta include “how to use proper gloves and how to use proper septic techniques. Also, proper disposal of shots and how to use the garbage cans properly.” These may seem like simple tasks but are vital in keeping everyone safe and healthy.

Aside from skills students learn throughout the program, Dr. Dutta encourages them to develop a personal touch when it comes to interacting with patients. “You need first to clear your mind. You have to be willing to help other people. It’s not about the money; it’s about helping people.” Dr. Dutta has always been genuinely concerned for the well-being of his own patients and notes that this makes all the difference. “Always be present and there for patients, if they need any kind of help.” For example, he explains, if a patient becomes anxious or nauseous as a result of having to have blood drawn, it is important that the health care professional not simply focus on drawing the blood, but be supportive to  the person in all respects. “Be there, put on the gloves, offer them the trash can or vomit bag, and help them,” explains Dr. Dutta. Small gestures make big differences.

Dr. Dutta has the same depth of passion for teaching his students as he did for treating his patients. His teaching philosophy is to really get to know his students. “Know what they are struggling with,” he explains. Just as is so often the case in practicing medicine, “If you know the problem, then you can solve it. Some people want to do well, and are really good, but need a particular type of support. Maybe someone needs a bit more time, and that’s fine.” Dr. Dutta’s job is to prepare well-equipped professionals for the medical field, and he takes that responsibility very seriously. “This is going to be your profession,” he tells his students. “Sharpen your skills. You want to enjoy your profession, so do things the right way.”

Outside of his career, Dr. Dutta loves time at home with his family. He has enjoyed much travel with his wife, but that interest took a back seat two years ago when the couple happily welcomed triplets! Family time certainly keeps Dr. Dutta busy, but he still makes time for his other hobbies, including cooking, reading, biking, swimming and camping. But of course, he still always has time for his students. When asked what he is most proud of within his career, Dr. Dutta replied, “What I learned my whole life, what I studied … I am using it and giving it to the students. And they are successful. That makes me happy.”

To achieve similar success, Dr. Dutta urges his students to  “always be focused in your life, and be open all the time to learning new things. There is no end to education. I still learn things every day. Things in the medical field change overnight. You learn things each and every day, your entire life.”

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What Does a Certified Medical Coder Need to Know about Medicine?

Medical coding is the heart of the healthcare industry. It keeps doctors and nurses on track and organized, and shows in clear terms a patient’s medical history. One slip-up with an improper code could be big trouble for a patient. You wouldn’t want to mistakenly code a lymphoma (cancer) for lipoma (benign fatty tumor) because you didn’t know the difference. This is just one example of why it is essential for a person with a medical coding job to have a sound understanding of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology and pharmacology.

When you study in MTI College’s Medical Billing and Coding certification program, you learn the important skills you need to work as a healthcare professional – including the basics of anatomy and physiology. A requirement for a medical coding job is receiving an ICD-10-CM/PCS certification. Here’s why you need to have a basic medical background.

ICD-10 universally classifies and codes all diagnoses, symptoms and medical procedures. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), is an organized way of telling the entire story of a patient’s care and encounter with a doctor and/or hospital. According to the World Health Organization, which created the ICD in 1948, it is the gold standard for reporting diseases and health conditions. The universally accepted codes that you, as a medical coder, use make it easy to share and compare patient medical information among various hospitals, regions and providers. They also ensure that the procedure that is billed makes sense with the diagnosis. For example, if you code a bee sting diagnosis as a justification for an x-ray, it’s likely the claim would be rejected. You don’t want a clerical error on your part to result in patient harm. If you indicate that a patient with a known allergy to penicillin received that drug for an infection rather than Bactrim, it could prove disastrous.

Various codes correspond to various bodily systems and procedural locations. You need to understand anatomy, physiology and pharmacology so that you can accurately enter the codes that apply to specific procedures, diagnoses and treatments. These codes are so highly detailed that they even indicate on which side of the body the procedure is being done. In addition, your understanding of basic anatomy and physiology will help you categorize the different bodily systems (e.g., respiratory, muscular, skeletal, circulatory, etc.) involved.

Medical coding is extremely specific. In addition to learning ICD-10 codes, you must know CPT® codes as well. The five-character Current Procedural Terminology codes are the U.S. standard for the way medical professionals document and report medical, surgical, laboratory, radiology, anesthesiology and E/M (evaluation and management) services. Some procedures are straightforward, but others can be confusing. Take a lipoma, for example. A lipoma’s depth into the tissues varies, but its coding depends on exactly where it is located. Coders need to not only know what a lipoma is, but also what the difference is between subcutaneous and intramuscular tissue, as well as the size of the excision to remove it.

Deciphering a doctor’s scribble is important.  When a doctor is writing patient notes, the coder needs to understand it. He or she is likely to be in a hurry and writes down a diagnosis, a treatment plan, a prescribed medicine and maybe a follow-up procedure. For someone doing medical coding, that needs to be transcribed into standard code to record the patient’s medical history and to submit it all to insurance for billing. If you misinterpret the notes or just don’t understand, it could cause confusion and delays in paying insurance claims, or even result in a denial of coverage.

Your medical coding expertise is essential to patient care. We live in a data-driven world, and that’s critically important in health care. Listing symptoms, diagnoses and procedures, and sending reports to an insurance company to request reimbursement, is not enough. Every time a person visits a doctor for an illness, for example, there are symptoms. They are recorded, along with the procedures performed and medicines prescribed. Maybe it’s a fever and sore throat. The doctor might order a strep test. If strep throat is the diagnosis, an antibiotic is generally prescribed. That’s rather straightforward. What if the patient sees the doctor because she is pregnant? She needs regular testing, ultrasounds, blood work, abdominal measurements, special vitamins, etc. Then what happens if there is a complication? More documentation is required. It gets very complicated, and your responsibility increases for accurately recording data that you first need to understand. You don’t want to mistake gestational diabetes for Type 2 diabetes, or preeclampsia for edema.

As a medical coder, you do not make diagnoses or treat patients, but you do need a basic understanding of anatomy, physiology and pharmacology to ensure that health information is documented accurately. Medical coders are in demand, and jobs are expected to rise much faster than average. MTI College offers the training you need to enter this high-growth field..

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What is the Job of a Medical Biller and What Skills Do You Need?

Partially because of a rapidly aging U.S. population, healthcare jobs are in demand, because as people age, they usually need more medical care. Medical billers are needed to handle insurance and patient claims.  MTI College offers a Medical Billing and Coding Professional Diploma Program that can prepare you to enter this in-demand field. You could be working alongside doctors and nurses in a hospital, doctor’s office, clinic, nursing home or other medical facility using your skills to provide much-needed assistance.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for medical records and health information technicians (billers and coders) is growing much faster than the average rate for other occupations. Because more people have access to health insurance these days, claims on behalf of patients are going to increase. If you have a medical billing job, you will be the one to submit the bills for insurance reimbursement.

Does this sound like a job you would enjoy? Find out what a medical biller is responsible for on a day-to-day basis and learn whether it is a good career choice for you.

What is the job of a medical biller?

The medical biller plays a vital role in the relationship among medical providers, patients and insurance companies. Although the medical biller is not responsible for patient care, he or she should have a good understanding of medical terminology to be able to discuss medical bills with both insurance carriers and patients. These are a few duties of a medical biller:

• Audit and submit claims to insurance companies for patient procedures and treatments.
• Obtain insurance referrals and pre-authorizations for patient procedures.
• Verify insurance eligibility and benefits.
• Understand insurance guidelines, including those for HMO/PPO, Medicare and Medicaid.
• Review patient bills for accuracy and fill in any missing information.
• Check payments for accuracy.
• Research and appeal denied claims.
• Talk with insurance companies about payment discrepancies.
• Set up payment plans for patients.
• Collect delinquent accounts.
• Answer phone inquiries from patients and insurance companies.
• Use medical billing software to perform job duties.
• Update software with rate changes.
• Know Fair Debt Collection Practices.

As a medical biller, you may not perform each of these duties every day, but they are all considered responsibilities of the job.

Is a medical biller the same as a medical coder?

When you train at MTI College, you train for both positions. If you work in a small office, you may also perform the duties of a medical coder, a person who applies industry-standard codes that relate to specific medical diagnoses, treatments and procedures to patient health records. The medical biller then takes the coded information and submits the bill. However, if your job is for a larger organization, you may just do medical billing.

What personal skills are helpful to have if you want to be a medical biller?

A medical biller’s job is very important to the financial cycle of a provider, and you need to always strive for accuracy.

These are some other skills you should possess if you want to be a medical biller:

• Attention to detail. You’ll always need to check bills for accuracy and identify discrepancies.
• Excellent communication ability. Much of your job will involve phone conversations with patients and insurance companies.
• Good customer service. Remember that the bottom line is a person’s healthcare management, and it can be an emotional topic for some people. You need to speak diplomatically, compassionately and accurately to answer questions.
• Computer knowledge. Since you will be using medical billing software, you should know how to use a computer and the Internet.
• Accounting and bookkeeping. An understanding of the basics can be very helpful since you will be sending out billing statements and will need to reconcile them as payments come in.
• Medical terminology. Your MTI training will cover this, but you need to keep up to date to be able to converse with patients, providers and insurance companies.
• Problem solving. Sometimes there will be discrepancies or inconsistencies, and knowing how to go about solving the problem is necessary.
• Being comfortable with teamwork. Since you will interact with other medical staff members, you should enjoy working as part of a team.

MTI College’s Medical Billing and Coding Training Program gives you the background you need to enter the exciting, busy world of healthcare. Contact MTI College Sacramento today to jump-start your medical billing career.

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