Inspired by caring health care professionals during a personal hardship, Jessica Pickel decided to change careers from working in a business office to working in health care. “I wanted to be hands-on in a medical office with patient contact but also have the security of working a normal business hours schedule,” Jessica said as she explained what type of work she wanted to do.
Jessica already had a bachelor’s degree in business administration but in order to prepare for a career switch, she needed to specialize her education. She enrolled in the medical billing and coding program at the $$Roanoke Valley Campus. “ANU was small enough where I wouldn’t feel lost in big classes like I did at the other college I attended,” Jessica said of her decision to enroll.
[img]In less than one year, she finished her program, passed the Medical Coding Certification exam, and got a job offer from Virginia Interventional Pain & Spine Center (VIPSC) which is where she worked as an extern. “I got the job offer the last week of my externship,” said Jessica, with excitement about how quickly her goal was accomplished.
In her new job, she gets to do all the things she had wanted to do in the health care field including insurance authorizations and coding, and assisting patients before they see the doctor. “I feel like I learn something every single day,” said Jessica. “There’s a lot of room for advancement here and in the medical field in general.”
As she reflects back on her ANU education, she is grateful for the experience. “I really felt like I knew what my teachers were talking about,” Jessica explained. “Most of them were in the medical field themselves at that time so that was helpful.” Jessica is also responsible for filling extern positions for VIPSC, so she confidently looks to ANU for a steady supply of well-prepared students.
A-Graduate Jessica Pickel was hired by the Virginia Interventional Pain & Spine Center (VIPSC) after completing an externship there.
B-Graduate Jessica Pickel finished the medical billing and coding program in less than one year at the $$Roanoke Valley Campus.
