Question: What’s the best way to apply to schools with health information programs?
First, visit the website of the accrediting organization for all health information management and health informatics programs (CAHIIM) and review the list of all accredited HIM programs in the United States. Visit http://www.cahiim.org/ for a complete listing of accredited programs. It is important to attend a CAHIIM accredited program if you wish to sit for a national credential exam (RHIT or RHIA) as only graduates of a CAHIIM program qualify to take these two exams. There are no other equivalency options for certification eligibility.
Question: How competitive is placement in a health information program?
Some programs have “open door” admission policies, meaning that if a student is accepted to the college, they can select the program of their choice. However, most baccalaureate programs and some associate programs have competitive placement. The applicant competes with other applicants on GPA, test scores, essay, and interviews for limited seats. Some competitive programs have a 2 to 1, or 3 to 1 acceptance ratio – this means of three applications submitted, one student will be selected. Talk with the Program Director of each program to learn about the type of placement practiced there. You should be aware that many programs do a background check (criminal background and drug use background) as a condition of acceptance to the program. This is done because a component to graduate requires students to participate in a field based internship (referred to as a practicum) and most healthcare facilities require interns to meet the same criteria as any new employee.
Question: Do you have any tips about applying to and selecting programs?
Be sensitive to any admission deadline dates (especially if the program has competitive placement) as there will be a time for student interviews either in person, or by phone and you will want your application to be processed and ready so that you can participate in the interview process. When deciding where to attend, consider whether you will be more successful attending class in a regular classroom setting, or if you have the discipline for online instruction. Many online programs operate on a quarter systems (8 weeks) and you will need discipline to keep up with your studies in the online format. We suggest running the search engine for the program level of interest to you (associate, baccalaureate, masters) and print off all programs in that category. Use the printed list to narrow your choices, and then contact the program using the email and phone numbers provided in the list. Is the program accessible to phone or email? Are they answering your questions? Some things to consider when selecting programs include:
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Type of instruction – online or traditional classroom
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Cost of tuition
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Ability to transfer college credits
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CAHIIM accredited/approved
Question: The college I am interested in says they are not CAHIIM accredited yet, but are in the candidacy process. What does that mean to me?
As a HIM student, if getting your RHIT or RHIA credential upon graduation is a goal, you want to be sure that you graduate from a CAHIIM accredited program. If you are just now enrolling, and the program is a candidate in the accreditation process, then the chances are good that the process of moving from candidate to accredited will be completed before you graduate; however there is some risk should the program fail to achieve their accreditation. This is an important question that you and the program director should discuss.
Question: I am confused about what standardized tests I need to take to go to college.
Some schools may not have standardized test requirements (such as a community college) but if you are looking at attending a baccalaureate or graduate school you should expect that standardized tests results will be required. Be sure to carefully read the requirements from the program that interests you. Some common expectations include:
1. Most students will find they have more choices in applying to schools if they take the standardized testing offered each year in November.
2. Use the same name on your college applications as you did for the test, or you may find that your application packets remain “incomplete”.
3. Each school you are interested in applying to have a code that you must submit to the SAT, TOEFL, or ACT testing agencies. This code is usually found in the school’s website under application or financing sections. Expect the turnaround from request to submission of test scores to be 4 to 6 weeks. For example, ACT scores are only mailed out once a month. Depending on when your request was processed it could take more than a month before the results are mailed.
4. More information about the testing requirements can be found by visiting the individual sites. For the SAT http://www.collegeboard.com/, for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) at www.ets.org/toefl, and for the ACT at http://www.act.org/.
Question: ESL: I can speak English, but it isn’t my native language. What standardized test should I take?
If you do not speak English at home or have only spoken English for a few years, you will benefit from taking the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).
Question: When do I start taking health information courses?
Whether you are in an associate, baccalaureate or master’s degree program you must complete your general education courses (things like English, Math, History) in addition to taking the professional component (the actual health information courses). Programs vary by how many courses a student should have completed before entering into the professional phase, and others have prerequisite requirements (Anatomy & Physiology is a common prerequisite). In a typical baccalaureate program, your freshman and sophomore years are dedicated to completing the general education requirements and you enter into the professional phase your junior and senior years.
Question: I am in high school now, what classes should I take to help me enter into a career in health information management or health informatics?
Life sciences are good preparatory classes: anatomy, physiology, disease process, and medical terminology are examples. Unlike some other health careers, the students pursuing a health information management or health information technology career will not be expected to take chemistry or physics. Being comfortable with computer technology is a strong advantage for the HIM student. Internet usage and the ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications are skills that are considered desirable for careers in health information technology.
Question: I am a home schooled graduate, will that hurt my chances of pursuing a health information management or health information technology career?
Many state and private schools admit home schooled students. In some parts of the country, a student schooled at home will be granted a formal high school diploma, in other areas they are not. Another possibility is to complete the GED. However, the school that you are applying to may not have any requirements regarding proof of diploma or GED — always check to see what the particular requirements are for the school you wish to attend.
Question: I've taken a lot of Advanced Placement Credits in high school as a way to get through the freshman year faster. Will they transfer?
AP policies vary widely from one school to another. Many have “versions” of acceptance depending on the date of admission (class of 2006 policy vs. class of 2010 policy for example). Some schools require you to take the regular College Board Advanced Placement examinations in order to have the coursework credited. In addition, many schools will set score criteria to transfer the credit. For example, on a College Board AP Biology exam, your score must be 5 or higher for credit to be given. Other schools do not require the CBAP exams, but instead will administer Advanced Standing challenge exams during freshman orientation.
Question: I am returning to school with a degree in another subject. What credits will transfer toward my new degree requirements?
Generally speaking, if you have satisfied your general education requirements with another degree you can begin taking the professional component courses immediately. Life science courses that are considered part of the HIM educational foundation such as: Anatomy & Physiology, Pathology, and Medical Terminology will be examined critically to see if your prior coursework is of the same caliber as the program’s requirements. You should meet with the Program Director during your first term to create a graduation plan that will identify those courses that are met and the courses that are needed to graduate.
Question: I am changing careers and want to get a degree in HIM, but I need to work full time and be a part-time student, will this be a problem?
Almost all programs (associate and baccalaureate and master’s) can accommodate the part-time student. In fact, 58% of associate degree students, and 32% of baccalaureate degree students attend school on a part-time basis. In addition, there are a number of distance education programs where you will attend classes online from home. Hybrid classes where part of the class meets on campus and part on the internet are growing in popularity. These options accommodate a working student’s busy schedule.
Question: I am an older student, will I fit into the student body in a HIM educational program?
Some programs attract a higher number of returning students while other programs attract the more traditional college age student. Speak with the program director at the program that interests you for a profile of the typical student in the HIM program.
Question: I just want to be a coder, what should I do?
There isn’t a simple answer to this – you can start by getting your coding certificate. But that said; many AHIMA members who are professional coders are also RHITs, and RHIAs, and others hold master’s degrees. One common misunderstanding is that you will be ready to take the CCS exam once you complete your academic training and that is incorrect. You will be qualified to sit for the CCA exam upon completing your training program. The CCS and CCS-P are mastery credentials and reflect two to three years of full time coding experience beyond the academic preparations that you will receive in school.
Question: I already have a degree or license in healthcare. Do I have to return to school or can I just take the RHIT or RHIA credential exams?
You have two choices, you can either get a master’s degree in health information management which prepares you to sit for your RHIA credential, or, if you aren’t interested in pursuing a master’s degree, then you should look into a post-baccalaureate certificate from one of our CAHIIM credentialed schools which would also prepare you to take the credentialing exam. Both the master’s and post-baccalaureate certificate are available in online formats from designated colleges and universities.
The RHIA credential is an academic based certification and reflects that the individual is a graduate of a CAHIIM accredited health information management (HIM) program. Many nurses and other allied health professionals who have taken positions in HIM, and either pursued a master’s or post-baccalaureate certificate were surprised at the depth of knowledge they attain – and a much more thorough understanding of why things are as they are in health information management.
Question: I have a master’s degree in a field unrelated to healthcare. Do I have to get another baccalaureate degree to become a RHIA?
You can get a master’s degree (or graduate certificate) in health information management. You will find CAHIIM approved/accredited master’s programs listed on the search engine. The masters degrees are offered in traditional classroom and online modalities. Be sure to mention to the program director that your goal on graduation is to sit for the RHIA exam so that you will be placed into the correct track to achieve this goal.
Question: I already have a baccalaureate degree in another field. I’m looking for a way to become a RHIA that doesn’t require getting another degree. What are my choices?
For a student to sit for the RHIA exam, they must be graduates of a CAHIIM accredited baccalaureate degree granting institution. Many HIM baccalaureate programs offer a variety of ways to expedite a student wishing to complete the required coursework needed to qualify as a candidate to sit for the RHIA credentialing exam. These strategies include: college transfer credits, life credits, and portfolio challenge, or getting a post-baccalaureate certificate.
Click here for a list of programs that offer post-baccalaureate certificates, or graduate certificates that will qualify you to sit for the RHIA credential exam. The requirements for attaining a post-baccalaureate certificate are defined by each institution, and students should contact the program directly for details.
Question: I am an RN. Do you recommend or endorse any Coder boot camps?
No, we do not recommend boot camps. We recommend maintaining your coding skills, once you are credentialed, through AHIMA continuing education offerings. We strongly recommend someone wishing to become a coder to enroll in an AHIMA approved coding program and take all the classes (it takes about nine months to complete a certificate). There really are no shortcuts to a good solid academic foundation in coding.
You should feel free to explore a coding boot camp if you want, but you won’t acquire any more knowledge from an inexpensive one than from a very expensive boot camp. The idea of a coding boot camp is the same as an idea of a nursing boot camp – it looks appealing, but in reality is an impossible premise.
Question: There are a lot of master and doctoral programs out there specializing in Informatics, it is confusing to me, can you explain the differences?
There are four major focus research areas in informatics education reflecting various disciplines:
- Medical/Bio Informatics – physician and research based, attracts medical students
- Nursing Informatics – clinical and research based, attracts nursing students
- Public Health Informatics – public health and biosurveillance based, attracts public health students
- Applied Informatics – addresses the flow of medical information in an electronic environment and covers process, policy and technological solutions, attracts HIM students
Question: Why should I become a student member of AHIMA?
Being a student member of the national association can be a great benefit. As a member of AHIMA you will have full access to a variety of resources that can help you as a student to complete assignments, research papers, and get a job once you graduate. Some of the benefits of membership include:
• Discounted membership rate of $35 per year (standard active membership is $165)
• Access to the AHIMA Job Bank and Career Assist counseling
• 24/7 access to the AHIMA Body of Knowledge (an electronic library of articles)
• A discount on all products and services including AHIMA textbooks and certifications
• Ability to join over 300 AHIMA Community of Practice forums including the Student CoP
• Mentoring available
• Electronic newsletters on HIM topics including the quarterly Student Connection
Question: How do I join AHIMA as a student member?
Student members can only apply for membership Online. Click here to learn more about membership or become an AHIMA member.
Why when I tried to become a student member I was told I had to join at the full active member rate, how come?
You can only become a student member if:
1. You are currently enrolled in an AHIMA approved coding program or in a CAHIIM accredited health information management program or a program that has been formally recognized by CAHIIM as a Candidate seeking accreditation.
2. You do not have an AHIMA credential.
3. You have not previously been Active members of AHIMA.
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