I knew I wanted to be a doctor from a young age. I graduated at the top of my class in high school, I attended Yale, and matched in a competitive medical specialty. I was willing to do everything and go anywhere to be an ophthalmologist. I thought I was doing things right by doing my pediatric ophthalmology fellowship with a private practice. I thought I had all the tools to be a successful pediatric ophthalmologist. I landed my first job at my ideal location just 50 miles outside my favorite city. I was ready to see patients and earn my first paycheck.
I encountered the real world of medicine on my first job. I was not prepared and did not understand the business side of medicine. I was not offered partnership after 2 years as an employee in the practice in my ideal location because “I did not make enough”. My parting gift was a $50 bonus over my base salary and a $10,000 tail policy to pay within 90 days. I remember like it was yesterday. The managing partner called me into his office, thanked me for my service but also told me if I wanted to stay I would be working for free. I would not be able to cover my rent, my staff and still earn a paycheck. I had to move out of my new home that I had just purchased two years prior. I was just starting to feel at home.
The next hospital was not that much better. I was doing extra call shifts. I asked my employer when that money was to be put in my paycheck. My employer said I was not entitled to that money since I had not made my base salary by collections. To add insult to injury, they told me I had an experienced ophthalmology biller and coder however, my surgeries were being coding wrong to a turn of a $500 loss per surgery.
I hit my lowest when I went to my third job where my patient visits were not being pre-authorized, so it did not matter what I billed or coded, I was not being reimbursed at all. As a result, I started taking every coding class I could, I am proud to say I have been in my current position for 6 years. I am always in the top 50 percentile of my specialty in income. I want new physicians not to make the same mistakes I have made. Even if you have people bill and code for you must make sure they are doing it correctly. You must be the Coding Captain of your own ship.