Hello Fellow Classmates,
I decided to write a little for those that are just now starting and hopefully this catches your attention!
- When you are studying during Module one DO NOT try to memorize all the medical terms because its too much to go over all at once, you WILL fry your brain.
- Focus on HOW to code.
- When you are coding PAY ATTENTION to the RED and BLUE boxes next to each code because it tells you how many characters that code needs. You will not find these in the Tabular List.
- DO NOT DOUBT yourself, the moment you second guess is the moment you will get the code wrong.
Take it easy it's easier then you think, even if you're a procrastinator! lol! :D
NOTE FROM LINDA ANDREWS:
Very nice, Jemi. That was very kind of you. Thank you for posting that.
Thanks Jemi!! I am currently in Module III. Taking it one day at a time. There's alot to know! :)
Thanks, Jemi! Just started section 3 in Module I and this is exactly what I needed to hear because I was trying to memorize a lot of this.
Thanks for the tips Jemi! I am currently in Module I and loving it so far. I feel like this is the job that I was meant to do, and all the little pieces are coming together. I hope I still feel like this as the coding gets progressively harder!!
Thank you! I am in Module I and that will definitely help.
Thank you! I'm just getting started, so this is valuable advice! Does anyone have feedback on whether or not the MedicalTerminologyLab.com purchase is worth the investment?
Kelley, there is a post somewhere that address the terminology lab and the school said they did not recommend it.. I think the reason was because people spent to much time trying to memorize stuff.
Linda,
You are correct, the school does not recommend it.. Here's a copy of Glenda's post:
We do not participate in the website that accompanies the Medical Language textbook, and we do not recommend students purchase access on their own separately. When the site was previously free access, we found that students who used it often spent far too much of their study time on the exercises and games there, leaving them to either rush through their assignments or use up extensions to push deadlines back.
Remember, everything in the course is completely open-book, so you don't need to memorize anything, which is what that site is geared toward. It's a better use of your time to get through the terminology and A&P fairly quickly each week and spend the rest of the time going more carefully over the coding (or transcription, for MT students) material, where you'll be applying and reinforcing the terminology and A&P you've picked up.
Thank you for taking the time to look that up! Makes perfect sense. :)
thank you- good to know how I should be using my time. I did get caught up in trying to memorize words-so now I know what not to do :)
Thank you! I was starting to wonder if I moved too fast by not spending more time trying to memorize everything.
so true
I am in Section 3 of Module 1 and am pretty confused but not at all hopeless, I will keep reading and problem solving, perhaps it will make sense in the end!
Problem-solving is one of the the best ways to learn, Shawna. Memorizing is not always helpful because it does not result in learning the information in a way that lets you use it.
As you code, however, you will find that you have to look up information and see how it is relevant to coding. That helps you develop a working knowledge of what you need to know. As you look up more and more, you'll learn more and more, and you will also learn what kinds of information you need to know. That will help you focus on what is essential and not waste time on what is not essential.
Remember that employers hire coders, not medical terminologists. The coding is the most important thing.
Yes, it will all make sense in the end.