HIM Students: How to Do Your Best in Your Health Information Management Courses

If you’re currently enrolled in a health information management (HIM) degree program and want to know how to put your best foot forward, we’re here to help. Or maybe you’re struggling with your coursework and not sure where to turn. We can help with that, too. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you work your way through your HIM courses:

• Remember your ‘why.’ Earning your degree isn’t always easy — especially when you’re juggling learning with work, taking care of a family, and all your other obligations. When times feel tough, remind yourself why pursuing a HIM degree is so important to you. Maybe you want a career you feel passionate about, or you’re working hard to create a better life for yourself and your family. Write down your why and read it regularly to push yourself through the difficult times.
• Be prepared to do some writing. Some HIM courses require you to do a bit of writing. This is good because it helps you build your written communication skills. If you find writing stressful or difficult, there are a few things you can do to make it easier. One is to start with an outline and then create a draft from it. Also, when writing a rough draft, don’t worry about whether your words make sense, are organized, or grammatically correct. Just get your ideas down on paper. Sometimes this helps relieve the stress of getting your words right the first time. Save that for the editing process.
• Also, be prepared for some math. Understanding statistics and data sets is important in health information management because they’re often used to analyze health and disease trends. But if you aren’t good at math, the idea of courses on these topics may make you sweat. Don’t let that stop you from pursuing a career in HIM. Just being willing to learn can help you put your best foot forward when in these courses. Additionally, speak one-on-one with the instructor if something doesn’t make sense or post a question in your online classroom. There are other people who can help you, all you have to do is ask.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you find a particular course difficult, reach out to the instructor. Tell them where you’re having a hard time and ask for their guidance. If your school offers help, check out their services. For instance, UMA offers a variety of student services, giving you access to caring and compassionate advisors there to help you do your best in your courses. They can answer your questions, connect you with tutors, or work to find other resources that can help you in areas where you may struggle.

If you want a successful career in health information management, we want that for you, too. That’s why learners enrolled in UMA’s Health Information Management associate degree program (and all our other healthcare programs) have access to teams of individuals committed to their academic and career success.

Contact us and let’s talk about how we can help you!