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Experience Required:

Minimum 5 years of medical coding experience with exposure to major surgery specialties, E/M and ED specialities; strong experience in applying Practicode-like modules or case-based coding tools is a plus.

Role Overview:

You will serve as a dedicated coach/mentor for students using AAPCs Practicode platform. Your role is to help students understand coding cases, clarify policies and rationale, assist with skill gaps, and guide them to successfully navigate the Practicode program.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist students with content-related questions on Practicode cases (CPT, ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, HCPCS).
• Walk students through interpreting documentation, applying coding guidelines, and choosing appropriate codes.
• Provide feedback on coding logic, common pitfalls, and best practices to improve accuracy and proficiency.
• Help students with Practicode module policies: e.g. understanding scoring thresholds, case review, use of answer keys and rationales.
• Clarify policies around access time, CEUs, module completion, resets etc as needed.
• Be responsive to student queries within the expected timelines for Practicode support.

Qualifications & Skills:

• AAPC CPC credential mandatory; CPC, COC, CRC candidates who have already used Practicode are a bonus.
• At least 5 years of hands-on coding experience, with solid exposure to surgery specialties (must have coded or audited cases in at least 2-3 of orthopedics, neurosurgery, cardiology, etc.).
• Experience with multiple specialties including E/M, Radiology, ED, Medicine sections.
• Familiarity with AAPC Practicode: its modules, scoring system, policies (case counts, access windows, etc.). Understanding of CPC-A / COC-A apprentice removal via Practicode.
• Strong command over coding guidelines, medical terminology, anatomy & physiology.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English; ability to explain coding decisions and rationales clearly.
• Prior mentoring, coaching or teaching experience is highly preferred.

Policies & Expectations (Specific to Practicode):

• Awareness of the scoring rules: to pass the CPC-A/COC-A Practicum, the student must achieve 70% or higher across necessary modules/assessments.
• Knowledge of module access windows: full Practicum (bundle) has an 18-month access period; individual modules have 1-year access from purchase, with possible extensions for a fee.
• Clarify expectations around reviewing answer keys, rationales, and dispute process if students disagree with a cases answer key.
• Familiarity with CEU availability: specialty modules may offer CEUs (if completed with 70%).

Skills / Specialized Knowledge:

• Strong analytical skills: ability to identify where a student went astray in a case, especially when documentation is ambiguous or missing.
• Clear explanation of rationales; ability to translate technical coding rules into lay (learner-friendly) language.
• Some familiarity with digital platforms / LMS tools, since Practicode is accessed online and via systems like Blackboard or AAPCs portal.
• Patience, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple student queries at once.

Certifications & Mandatory Credentials:

• AAPC CPC credential required.
• Other credentials (e.g. CCS-P, CPC-I, COC, CRC, CIC) are an advantage but not mandatory.