The Medical Billing and Coding Program is a comprehensive, 42-week curriculum designed to prepare students for careers in healthcare reimbursement. With a total of 770 instructional hours, encompassing 36.5 credits, the program is meticulously crafted to ensure a balanced distribution of theoretical knowledge, practical lab experience, and real-world externship. The program kicks off with "Study Skills," a course tailored to equip students with the foundational strategies necessary for academic success, allotting 15 hours solely to theory to cultivate effective learning techniques. Students then delve into "Anatomy, Physiology, and Terminology," a pivotal course offering 3.5 credits and 55 theory hours to ensure a robust understanding of medical terminology and the human body's structure and functions-essential knowledge for any medical billing and coding professional. The curriculum recognizes the importance of technological proficiency in today's digital world with the "Computer Basics" course, which provides concentrated lab time for students to hone their computer skills, crucial for managing medical information. "Math Fundamentals" and "CPR and First Aid" are foundational courses, designed to equip students with essential mathematical skills and lifesaving techniques, adding 20 theory hours and 15 hours combined of theory and lab for CPR and First Aid, respectively. In "Medical Office Management," students will spend 30 hours in theory and an additional 12 in the lab, learning the intricacies of running a medical office, from scheduling to healthcare delivery systems. The program core is "Insurance, Billing, and Coding Fundamentals," "Professional Documentation," and "Principles of Insurance," with each course meticulously constructed to build the students' competencies in the financial aspects of healthcare, medical documentation practices, and insurance principles, which are foundational for the billing and coding profession." Sequence I Administrative Applications" and the two iterations of "Clinical Diagnostic Medical Coding" and "Medical Terminology and Patient Records," totaling 12 credits, are immersive lab-intensive courses. These classes provide 186 lab hours, focusing on the practical application of coding and managing patient records. "Procedural Medical Coding" mirrors the structure of clinical coding courses, ensuring students have extensive hands-on practice with procedural coding systems. "Claims Management" bridges theory and lab learning with a balanced approach, ensuring students can proficiently manage and file medical claims. "Medical Law and Ethics" offers a critical overview of the legal and ethical considerations in medical practice, preparing students to navigate the complex healthcare legal landscape. Approaching the program's conclusion, the "Certification Review" course allocates 30 theory hours and 30 lab hours to prepare students for certification exams, ensuring they have the knowledge and confidence to succeed. Finally, the "Medical Insurance, Billing, and Coding Capstone" allows students to apply their learning in a practical setting with a significant lab and externship component, rounding out their education with real-world experience. In sum, the Medical Billing and Coding Program is structured to offer students a rigorous, engaging, and comprehensive education path that leads to readiness for certification and employment in the field of medical billing and coding. It is meticulously designed to cover all necessary aspects of the profession, ensuring students leave with a well-rounded skill set to enter the healthcare workforce successfully.