Medical Information: Medical Coder CCC

The medical coder certificate prepares you to become a valuable member of a health information service team. Coding professionals use a classification system to assign code numbers and letters to each symptom, diagnosis, disease, procedure, and operation that appears in a patient's chart. These codes are used for insurance reimbursement, research, health planning analysis, and to make clinical decisions. A high degree of accuracy and a working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology are important skills for these professionals.

Career opportunities include hospital inpatient/outpatient coding specialist, reimbursement specialist, coding abstracting or insurance claim analyst, managed-care coding specialist, procedural coding specialist, and physician’s office or clinical coding specialist.

HC’s Medical Coder and Medical Office Billing programs (CCC.MEDCODE, CCC.OA.MED.BIL) are designed to prepare students for the AAPC Medical Billing and AAPC Medical Coding Certification. This is a national certification, academic requirements for this industry certification in other states may vary based on organization and/or employer. HC has not yet determined the status of the industry and/or employer requirements in all states.    

For more information:   

• View the AAPC Exam Certification FAQs
• Contact the program’s Department Chair, Maggie Medina mmedina51@hccfl.edu 

This curriculum is from the current college catalog and is meant to provide prospective students with an example of courses taken in this degree/certificate.  It is not intended to be used for graduation requirements. Students should consult an advisor for graduation information.

These courses are designed to prepare students for AAPC certification to establish a career in the medical coding industry. Students are part of a cohort and should take the courses in the sequence listed below.

Medical Information: Medical Coder CCC - CCC.MED.CODE Update

Application Process

Admission to the Medical Coding CCC is limited access and requires a separate program application. Space is limited to 25 students per cohort, with up to 5 students placed on a waiting list. Special Fall 2026 Cohort has 13 spots available with 2 on the waiting list  

• Apply to HC – Select Medical Office Administration A.S. Billing Option as your program of study on the HC application.
• Meet Prerequisites – All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to entering the Medical Coding Cohort. Courses must be completed with “C” or better prior to entering in final semester of coding cohort. (Completed Summer for Fall entry. Completed Fall for Spring entry.) 
• Submit Program Application – Applications must be submitted online by the posted deadline. Applications for fall term will open May 22, 2026.
• Provide Required Documents:
  • Completed program application
  • Unofficial transcript(s) will be needed to complete the application.
  • Professional statement of interest (1–2 pages)
  • Two professional references  
  • Acknowledgment & Commitment form
• Participate in Interview – Eligible applicants will be scheduled for an in-person interview with the selection panel at the Ybor City Campus. 
• Notification – Top 13 applicants for the Fall 2026 Cohort will be notified, and acceptance will need to take place within 3.5 days of notification; 2 students will be placed on the Fall waitlist. (@Notification is sent via Hawkmail after the evaluation period. Be aware that the evaluation period is subject to change depending on the number of applications received. Evaluations can take about 5-6 weeks after the deadline.
   

Please check your HC Hawkmail regularly for program updates and admission notifications. Some messages will come from medicalcoding@hccfl.edu be sure to review and respond promptly.

Selection Criteria
 
Applicants are reviewed using a scoring rubric: 

• GPA Students will be ranked by their GPA. (Program GPA of 3.0 or better required for entry into program)
• Completion of pre-requisites in the order they MUST be taken
  • †HSC 1531 Medical Terminology 3 cr. 
  • †OST 2854C Office Applications for Business 3 cr.
  • †HIM 1453 Anatomy and Physiology for Medical Coding or BSC 2085/L Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 and Lab 4 cr.
  • HIM 1000 Introduction to Health Information Management 3 cr.
  • †HIM 1442 Pharmacology 2 cr.
  • †HIM 1433 Principles of Disease 4 cr.
  • HIM 2252 Intro to CPT 3 cr.  2100 Computer Information Technology and Literacy
  • HIM 2723 – Introduction to ICD 10-CM/PCS 3 cr. (Recommended Elective)

Apply for Medical Coding Program, if requirements have been met.

• Professional statement
• Medical and/or healthcare experience (if applicable)
• Completion of Healthcare Support or Medical Office Certificate (if applicable)
• Professional References
• Interview performance
• Acknowledgment & Commitment Agreement 
   

Medical Coding Application Deadline:

• Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Special Fall 2026 Cohort applications will not be accepted after June 15^th.  
• ALL prerequisites MUST BE FINISHED with “C” or better before being admitted to the Medical Coding cohort.
• Be advised that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. The Medical Coding Program is highly competitive. 
   

Note: 

• If you do not initially meet admission requirements, you may still pursue other Medical Office programs such as AS Medical Billing, CCC Medical Billing , or AS Medical Office Management.
   
• The Senior Waiver may not be used for the Medical Coding College Credit Certificate. 

**The application for the Special Fall Cohort will be open from the 22nd of May to the 15th of June. The Fall Specialty Cohort Application will be in PDF form. Please follow the instructions for submission at the top of the application form itself. **

The Spring Coding Cohort Application will be available on August 1st 

Please Download the application. Once completed please submit the application and your Personal Statement document via email to medicalcoding@hccfl.edu.

Application Form

CCC.MED.CODE (37 Credit Hours)

Program Required Courses - (After Entry into Medical Coding Program)

First Semester Fall 2026 Cohort

HIM        2253      CPT Coding 3 cr

HIM        2724  Intermediate ICD-10 Coding 3 cr.

Second Semester Fall 2026 Cohort

HIM        2283         Advanced Coding 3 cr

HIM        2941         Clinical Coding Practicum 3 cr

**Select 3 credit hours from the following electives:**

HIM         2960         Credentialing Exam Review - 1 cr.

OST         2943         Internship in Medical Office (up to 4 credits) - 1 cr.

†HIM       1112C        Electronic Health Records 2 cr

†HIM       2723          Introduction to ICD 10-CM/PCS 3 cr

†Courses symbolized with a dagger (†) are offered online in addition to the traditional delivery methods. Online availability may vary by academic term.

NOTE: Coursework applies to the Medical Office Administration AS degree.

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