So, I have been with my current company for over 7 years. While I for the most part like my job I need and want more out of life. I started at the bottom and have moved up the ladder. I think I am as far up the ladder as I am going to get. I have been in the transportation business for 10 years doing billing and accounting. I would like to venture into the medical field. So my question is how do I get my foot in the door? I was thinking of taking some medical billing/coding courses... any one done this or have any suggestions?

I am not in the medical field or taken any of the coding courses but I would imagine that having strong computer application skills would be quite attractive to employers in any type of office environment.

I work in an office and am amazed, daily, at the lack of simple computer skills that people exhibit these days. Medical coding is a fairly specific job skill, which you would be trained to do, if needed, by the medical facility that hires you.

I do have a friend who works in the front office for a group of cardiac surgeons. She coordinates the surgeries, among other things, and has been working in doctors' offices for a dozen years or so. It's thankless work. Doctors are arrogant (some). Patients are miserable because they don't feel well, and the pay is lousy, at best.

The best advice I can give you is...build your general skills (i.e. computer applications, typing, organizational skills and ability to multi-task), then talk to the people in the front office at your PCP. Tell them you are considering changing jobs. Ask them what level of education they have and how they got their jobs. Most of all....ask them if they enjoy their work and why.

You can also check out CareerPlanner.com for descriptions of different jobs. Have fun!

Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Jobs and Job Outlook