Earn a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Take courses in English, computer applications, computer keyboarding, general business, biology and chemistry as such courses help in preparing for a career as a professional certified medical coder.
Complete an associate degree in health information technology through a local community college that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Coursework includes medical terminology, coding systems, anatomy, medical record management, allied health statistics, computer applications and math for medical professionals. The degree program also provides supervised clinical practicums through hospitals and clinics.
Take the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certification exam, which is administered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Exam registration requires completion of an approved associate degree program and submission of college transcripts. The three-hour exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions in such areas as healthcare data management, legal and ethical issues, data storage, retrieval and security procedures, human resource management and budgeting.