Hello everyone. I am posting this here because for several days after sending my enrollment form I only had access to this part of the system. I was kind of freaking out that there were not more posts. Now that I am in, I can see that there are more posts in the modules, so I am breathing a sigh of relief. Just wanted to share that in case anyone else is out there wondering.
Today I am reading the general instructions and overview for module I. It is a little overwhelming. I am finding I have to read things 2 or 3 times before they make sense to me. I just read the definitions for nomenclature and classifications and it is still a little fuzzy. Hopefully some of this will make more sense after I get my books.
Welcome, Sheryl. Just a word of encouragement, I think a lot of us have found this course of study difficult, so you can feel right at home. Just take baby steps and don't be discouraged. So you mess up now and then. Don't look at it as failure, only as opportunities for growth.
By now you probably have your books. Once you get into the ICD-10-CM, learn to use the Guidelines. As a new student I had read that advice from several from others, but was so overwhelmed with everything else that I didn't bother. And I was having a hard time and not making good grades. Finally I started sending questions to the instructor; that helped, but she, too, referred me to Guidelines. I was pretty far into the course before I really discovered the Guidelines. I doubt if you or anyone else is as dense as I was, but here it is. Guidelines are in front of the ICD-10-CM. Example: Sometimes your document mentions neonate. Age matters in coding; so how old is a neonate? Guidelines page in my book is ix - gives age information. Example: I was really hung up on "other" and "nonspecified" until I found information on Guidelines page 3. That marvelous discovery brought a lightening blink to my mind and that is when Guidelines became my NBF. Don't try to memorize these guidelines. Just use them one at a time as each issue arises in the test or exercise question. The index for the specific guidelines begins on page 1. I don't use it much because of the very small, close print - too hard on the eyes, but I do thumb through looking at the bold hi-lited information, which is not a good use of time, but at least I can see the print. Once I find the heading I want then I deal with the tiny print.
Enough blab from me. Welcome and best wishes.
Donna G
Thank you, Donna. I really like your tip about the guidelines and explanation on how to use them. I went through the M-TEC program for MT, so I'm glad to see the same type of helping-each-other-along attitude and camaraderie exists here.
Waiting for my books to arrive today so that I can make use of some of these great hints before I lose track of them!
I'm pretty new...about two-thirds of the way through Module I. I can definitely relate to the feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed. Donna gave some great advice! Things may not click at first; but, remember, we're learning something new, and we may not "get it" the 1st time and that's okay. Things aren't going to "stick" right away, but as long as we keep at it, we'll get it. Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck to all of us!
I did get my books for Module I today and am jumping right on into it! I'm excited about a new challenge!
Just take it one step at at a time and you will be fine. There is a lot of information to absorb, for sure!
Welcome, Sheryl and Kell!
I ditto what Donna and Marissa said -- it's natural to feel overwhelmed, but if you take it one step at a time it does start to make sense after a while.
When I first read the guidelines at the beginning of Module I, they all kind of mushed up in my head and didn't make a lot of sense. Like Marissa, I'm about 2/3 of the way through the module, and now that I've had a chance to work with coding, reading the guidelines again is a whole different experience. Those guidelines as well as any instructions contained in the relevant sections of the Tabular are very helpful. Every time I go back and review something I've read earlier, several new light bulbs light up.
If you look through the forums, there are lots of great study tips posted (thanks, guys!). Best of luck to you in your studies!
Based on this thread, I have already put a sticky note in the Guidelines section of my book! Any little bit helps. Will be looking for more study tips, too. Thanks Tracey and good luck to everyone :O)